Earthquake
by myownmind
Summary: LA is shaken by a powerful earthquake. The paramedics of Station 51 and CHP have to deal with the aftermath but first they have to rescue themselves and the people they find along the way.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Emergency or ChiPs or any of the other characters I'm borrowing. I just borrow the characters from the original writers from time to time. I am not making any money off this story._

_Hi. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my story. I thought I'd let you know a few things. First of all I don't know Los Angeles and therefore don't really know what I'm talking about as far as geography and street names (thank goodness for Google map). Secondly, I prefer to think that Roy isn't married and has no kids. It just makes me happy. If I offend anyone who is a diehard traditionalist, I'm sorry._

_Susanne_

It struck suddenly, without warning. It lasted for five minutes. It was as if God took the City of Angels and shook it like a snow globe. It was the strongest and longest earthquake in the history of the city of Los Angeles.

Buildings crumbled, cars slid sideways across the freeways and city streets. Telephone and electrical poles toppled, the live wires crackling over the pavement and grass.

Life as the residents of Los Angles had known had simply ceased to exist, as their city was rearranged to nature's will.

XXXXX

Driving along the Pacific Coast Freeway, CHP Officer Jon Baker was nearing the end of his shift. It felt good to be back on a motorcycle again after nearly three years away from the force. By his side was his old partner, Frank Poncherello. As a twist of fate, his old partner, whom he'd trained, was now in charge of his training and probation. Smiling to himself at the irony of it, he was unprepared for the earth to move out from under him.

The huge CHP motorcycle suddenly hopped to the right and then to the left. Then it went out from under Jon completely. The world had been turned into sounds of twisting metal, a deep, resonant rumbling and human screams and cries. All Jon could hear was his bike scrapping along the pavement and somewhere nearby Ponch yelling something at him.

His left leg felt like it was on fire as it too was dragged along, his foot entangled with the small roll bar on the side of his motor. Desperately, Jon tried to get himself free but he was too securely held. His body flailing along the ground, he felt something snap in his left arm then the bike finally stopped moving.

Groaning into the cacophony of sounds, Jon was barely aware of a car careening toward him and the bike. Jon pulled at his leg, trying to ignore the pain he was causing and the fact that he had begun to shake with the early stages of shock. If he didn't get loose, he wasn't going to have to worry about it.

A pair of hands caught hold of his leg and began to heave as well. Pain flashed through Jon. Unconsciousness and nausea threatened. Gulping air to combat both, Jon saw the car flip and spin away over the edge of the freeway. It had missed him but undoubtedly the occupant or occupants were injured.

The noise stopped. The earth stood still for a moment longer. Then the other sounds started. Car alarms, buildings toppling and people crying out in fear, pain and confusion.

"Are you okay?" Jon asked. His partner's head was bleeding and he was pale. So far the blond officer was not aware of the extent of his own injuries. His first thoughts had been for his friend and partner.

"Fine, it's you I'm worried about. Ready?" Ponch asked. All hell had broken loose around him. Cars had caught fire. The embankment along the side of the freeway was threatening to give way. If it did they'd all be swept down to the beach below and possibly into the ocean beyond. As well, the bank the freeway as situated on was also showing signs of weakness.

"Ready for what?" Jon asked.

Not waiting to explain, Ponch caught hold of the overturned bike with both hands and heaved. A scream was torn from Jon's lips as the twisted piece of metal was slowly pulled off his left hip and leg. Jon's boot and foot were wedged between the roll-bar and the side of the motorcycle. He was trapped within what was left of the machine.

"Hey, do you need any help?" a feminine voice asked from behind Ponch. He couldn't let the bike go and Jon was too weak to pull himself free. His blond partner was a real mess. The pain had let itself be known. Jon felt like his entire side were on fire. Shock was getting harder to ignore.

"Yeah," Ponch replied, without turning to look. "His foot's caught underneath. Try to get it free."

Jon was barely conscious. A woman slipped by him, a crowbar in her hands. She wasn't small by any stretch of the imagination, but evidently her mass wasn't completely fat. She slipped the crowbar between the roll-bar and the bike. She put her shoulder into it. Metal screeched as she forced the hole to widen. Putting the bar down, she gently took hold of the officer's foot and drew it out. Carefully, she placed his foot on the ground and moved to Jon's shoulders. She dragged him out of the way.

Ponch let the bike down as carefully as he could. He didn't want any pieces of metal to hit them. "What just happened?" the woman asked. She was checking Jon over with a precision that indicated some medical knowledge.

"That was an earthquake," Ponch replied, looking around at the devastation surrounding them. He wasn't sure where to begin.

"Great. My first time in LA and I get to experience an earthquake. Aren't I lucky? Do you have any medical supplies?" Chris asked. The officer was badly injured. If he hadn't been wearing his helmet, he would have been dead by now.

"There might still be some on my motor. Give me a minute." Ponch stated. He went back to what was left of his bike and searched through the saddlebag. Luckily, they had been in the one the bike hadn't slid on. While he was there he quickly checked his radio. In the crash the casing had been completely shattered. Ponch tried the handset anyway, just in case. Nothing happened. Cursing under his breath he headed back to where Jon lay.

"Here," Ponch said, handing the first aid kit over to her. "Are you a doctor or a nurse?"

"No, but I don't see any popping up yet so I'm going to have to do. Can you see what else you can salvage and check the other vehicles? I'll do what I can for him," the woman suggested.

She seemed to know what she was doing so Ponch followed her advice. In Jon's saddlebags he found a few more medical supplies and an emergency blanket. His radio was in the same shape as his own.

"Thanks," she said, quickly surveying what he'd brought. "If, while you're checking the cars, you find water, I could really use some." For the first time, Ponch noticed just how pale the woman was. She was terrified but holding it together well.

"Sure." Ponch wasn't sure where to start, there were so many vehicles, so many people in need. Taking a steadying breath, he set out toward the nearest mangled piece of metal, the one that had gone down the embankment.

XXXXX

Feeling overwhelmed, Chris did what she could for Officer Jon Baker. When she'd pulled the man's leg out of the wreckage she'd felt the bones grating against each other. He was semi-conscious and moaned with each breath. She wished she had something to give him for the pain but there wasn't anything in the kits. Gritting her teeth, she spread the blanket over the man and turned her attention to his left arm.

Jon's left arm was broken; she could tell that by looking at it. As carefully as she could manage, Chris undid the cuff of his left sleeve and drew what was left of it up and away from the lower arm. The bone hadn't broken through the skin, for that she was thankful. But she could see where the jagged end was sticking up, tenting the skin.

Bracing her feet against his arm put and the crook of his neck, she pulled on the hand, as hard as she dared. Another scream burst from the blond officer and he struggled weakly to pull his arm away from her. "Hold still," she growled under her breath. With her right hand, she felt along Jon's arm to see if she had it properly aligned. As satisfied as she could be without an x-ray, she wrapped the lower arm as best she could and cautiously laid it across his stomach.

Briefly, she debated on what to do with Jon's leg. Looking around at the twisted vehicles and the people sprawled here and there; she ran a trembling hand over her mouth. Some of the people were obviously dead. Bile threatened. A quick glance at her patient's face revealed the bluest pair of eyes she could ever remember looking into. There was pain in those eyes, but they also contained questions and sympathy. He must have seen her hand. Angry at herself, she put her business face back on. "What's your name, officer?" she asked even though she could read the name plate on his uniform perfectly well.

"Jon Baker," he managed through clenched teeth. A spasm of pain flashed over his handsome face when he tried to sit up. Gently, she placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "What's yours?" he asked when he was settled again.

"Chris. Can you tell me where it hurts?" the woman asked.

He had to think for a few moments before he could answer. "My left side, but I think it's just bruised and scrapped. My ankle and lower leg hurt but I can still move my toes," he replied. "Where's Ponch?"

"He's checking the other vehicles. Okay, I'm going to take your boot off and see what I can see. Stay as still as you can," Chris instructed.

Never one for big cities, Chris was having trouble concentrating with the cacophony of noise coming at her from all sides. Doing her best to ignore it, she moved down to the badly mangled ankle. Initially, it looked bad. She couldn't tell where the blood was coming from and it scared her. She tried to be as cautious as she could but she still had to pull on the boot fairly hard to get it off.

Jon tried to stifle a moan and couldn't quite do it. With inexperience hands, Chris examined the ankle and foot for broken bones. To the best of her knowledge there weren't any, so she started to work on the scrapes on his leg and side.

"How are you feeling, Officer Baker?" Chris called out to him. If possible, she wanted to keep him awake.

"Please, call me Jon," the officer responded. She could barely hear him over the background noise.

"Well, Jon. I think you're right about nothing being broken. I don't even think it's sprained. You're lucky. I'm going to have to find some water to clean these wounds with and something to splint your arm with but I think you're going to live," Chris said with as much cheer as she could muster.

"Thank you," was the quiet reply.

"I'm going to see how your partner is doing. Just hang on; we'll get you out of here as soon as we can." With that, Chris headed out.

XXXXX

What Chris found as she searched for the other officer was something out of her worse nightmares. Bodies, people screaming, horns blaring, and the stink of oil, gasoline, blood and human 

sweat. Steeling herself mentally, she checked in each of the cars she came to. She found no casualties. The people that could move had all ready left the vehicles. She figured Officer Poncherello was gathering them up as he went along. The ones that couldn't move weren't going to again. In her wanderings, she found two bottles of soda pop that hadn't shattered and a canteen full of water. Hopefully, the owners wouldn't mind.

A quarter of a mile away the carnage continued. Chris came upon the CHP officer trying to pry a side door of an ambulance open. Inside she could see what looked like a fireman trying to climb out of the front of the overturned vehicle.

"Need some help?" she asked, setting the bottles and canteen down.

"Where's Jon?" Officer Poncherello demanded upon recognizing her.

"He's back beside his bike resting and wondering where you are," she replied.

"See if you can find something to smash the window," Ponch ordered. The paramedic was trapped as was his partner in the back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get any of the doors open.

The woman returned a few moments later with a piece of metal she'd pulled off one of the mangled wrecks. "Stand back," she stated. Ponch did as she asked and was about to make a suggestion when she hit the windshield with every ounce of strength she had.

A lattice work of cracks appeared from the point of impact. The second swing sent shards of glass into the compartment and over the huddled form of the paramedic. Quickly, Chris broke out any of the pieces remaining in the window frame while Ponch reached in and pulled the man out.

"Are you hurt?" Ponch asked, brushing the glass off his clothes.

"No, just a little bruised. My partner's in the back with a patient we were transporting for Rampart General Hospital. I haven't heard anything from him since the crash." The dark haired man was all ready moving to the back of the ambulance.

"Come on," Ponch said to the woman. Of all the people he'd helped so far she was the only one that had stayed to help and not run down the freeway. The treacherous shape of the embankment had scared them. He wished, however, that she had stayed with his partner. There was no telling what could be happening to him right now, alone and injured. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he and the paramedic studied the warped back doors of the vehicle.

"Roy," the paramedic called through the small gap between the two doors. "Hey, Roy, it's Johnny, can you hear me?"

"Johnny?" came a muffled voice.

"We're going to get you out of there. How's the patient?" Johnny asked.

"Dead," Roy stated simply from inside the wrecked vehicle.

Chris was back, the piece of metal still in hand. Not asking for help, she forced it between the doors and tried to pry them apart. The manoeuvre was only partially successful. She managed to pop one of the doors open, the bottom one, but she also bent the metal nearly in two. Breathing heavy, she stepped back to get out of the way. The paramedic, Johnny, nearly dove through the open door.

"How is he?" Ponch called into the unit.

"He's fine," the second paramedic replied, scrambling out, a medical bag in each hand. "Are either of you hurt?"

"I'm fine. His head stopped bleeding awhile back. Other than that, I don't know," Chris replied, giving him a hand up. "I'm going to head back and check on Jon." She picked up her bottles.

"Is Jon injured?" There was a calmness about the man that comforted her.

"Yes, he is. I've done all I can but I couldn't clean his wounds or splint his arm very well," Chris stated. She practically had to run to catch up with the blond haired paramedic, he'd set off down the freeway walking at a good clip. The other paramedic and Ponch were only a short distance behind, both lugging large medical boxes. Johnny had taken everything he thought they might need.

"Do you two have names?" Chris asked as she led the way back. A thick haze had come up in the air; Chris could smell fire and dust. The combination made her sneeze until her eyes watered.

"I'm Roy DeSoto, my partner's Johnny Gage. How much farther is Jon?" Roy was having a hard time of it, Chris figured he was probably hurt but just refused to admit it.

"Not much farther. I'm Chris. Do you think the whole city's like this?"Chris asked. As they travelled she was getting a better sense of the devastation surrounding them and it terrified her.

"I don't know, the radio's out. Chances are pretty good that most of it is, though. We're going to have to find a vehicle or vehicles that still run to get us out of here," Roy replied.

"He's right over here," Chris said as they came up to the wrecked motorcycles. It didn't look like Jon had moved since she'd last seen him but that was okay. The blond CHP officer was either unconscious or asleep. It was hard to tell which. The two paramedics took charge and started ministering to him.

"Should we go check the other cars?" Chris asked the other CHP officer. She was suddenly feeling useless and needed a distraction, even searching for dead bodies.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. We'll give you a shout if we need help," Ponch said to the paramedics. Accepting one of the bottles of soda pop each, he and Chris started in the opposite direction they'd all ready searched.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Emergency or CHiPs. I simply borrow the characters created by the original writers from time to time. (Sorry, this should have been on the first chapter but I forgot when I was editing it!)_

_Thank you to everyone who has read this story. Any input would be greatly appreciated. The next chapter is going to be longer in coming, I have to do some research. I'm not familiar with Los Angeles. Sorry for the delay._

An hour later, Chris and Ponch were back. Exhausted and combating psychological shock. Ponch had tried, in various ways to contact his headquarters to no avail. A small group had joined the paramedics and Jon. At first Ponch was worried, then he realized that they posed no threat.

"How's he doing?" the CHP officer asked, indicating his sleeping partner.

"He's stable," the dark haired paramedic stated. Chris tried desperately to remember his name. John came to mind.

"How about the others?" Chris asked. Four men and an older woman had wandered into their little camp. One of the men looked like he was in shock, he simply sat and stared. The other three men were sitting or lying, cuts and bruises in abundance. The older lady was sitting on the wreckage of Jon's bike, waiting patiently.

"Nothing serious," Johnny replied. His face looked worried though, dissuading his words.

"Did you find anyone else?" Roy asked. He was sitting in the shade beside Jon's head. While the two were gone he'd moved Jon to get him out of what little sunlight penetrated the haze.

"No one alive," Ponch replied cryptically. Exhausted, he sank down beside his partner and assured himself that he was okay. Then Ponch rested his head on his drawn up knees.

Not sure what to do, Chris stood and vibrated for a few minutes, and then she gave into her own weariness and went to sit beside John Gage.

"So," she said, carefully positioning herself beside him. "What else do you guys do for excitement down here?"

Johnny flashed a look at her, which melted away when he saw his terror reflected in her eyes. "I can't think of anything else that could top this."

"How's your partner?" she asked.

The paramedic paused for a minute before answering. "I'm not sure. He won't let me examine him."

"I'll hold him down for you," Chris offered, only partially joking.

"I may take you up on the offer." Johnny smiled, the image of holding Roy down played through his mind.

The ground shook. Instinctively, John pushed Chris to the ground and covered her with his own body. Chris's instinct was to push him off of her but she held still until the aftershock stopped. It had been nearly as strong as the first earthquake but hadn't lasted more than a minute.

"We have to get out of here," Ponch shouted, picking his partner up and pulling him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "The embankment's going to go."

Chris felt herself hauled to her feet, and then a strong hand on her back propelled her toward the freeway they'd just checked. Mindlessly, she caught hold of the man in shock and pulled him along with her. Johnny and Roy got the others moving, two of them carrying the medical kits. Then they brought up the rear with the rest of the medical supplies.

"I have a question," Chris stated as she nearly ran to keep up with Ponch and the others.

"What?" Johnny asked, not pausing to look at her. He was helping the elder woman along and didn't have the time to waste.

"Don't earthquakes usually cause tsunamis?" She'd never seen the Pacific Ocean like this before, so open. Not so long ago, she'd thought it was beautiful. It still was but what lurked in those depths made her nervous.

"Usually, if the epicentre's under water," Johnny replied. The possibility hadn't occurred to him. He glanced at the waves crashing onto the beach below. It was a chilling thought.

"I don't suppose you know where the epicentre was?" Chris asked.

"No," Johnny replied.

XXXXX

The bank gave way. Tonnes of earth came crashing down and across the freeway. The wrecks were swept over the ocean embankment, it was an unstoppable tide. Luckily for the small group, they'd gotten past the section before it rumbled down, obliterating everything in its tracks. Chocking in the kicked up dust, they hastened their pace. They still took the time to check the vehicles as they came to them, just in case.

The young man stumbling beside Chris was mumbling to himself. She doubted that he was even aware of his surroundings. She tried to listen in, to hear what he was saying so she could figure out who he was or at least, where he belonged. But it was virtually impossible with the background noise. What she did manage to make out made little sense so she gave up.

"Where are we? What's going on?" the young man asked suddenly. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared around, blinking dust out of his eyes.

"There's been an earthquake. We're trying to find someplace safe to hold up until help arrives," Chris replied, catching hold of his arm again and drawing him along. The man was quite a bit taller than 

her but thin as a rail. He reminded her of her mother's side of the family. Unfortunately for her she took after her father's side. Life was never fair.

"Okay," the man said. He was still looking around, like he had no idea where he was. Chris got the impression that he was just trying to humour her.

"We're on the outskirts of Los Angeles," she added in an attempt to be helpful.

"What am I doing here?" he asked, pausing to look at her.

He had dark brown eyes and moderate length brown hair. Chris guessed his age to be mid twenties. He was handsome in a geeky sort of way.

"You're following the others so we can find a place to rest," Chris improvised. She had to get this man walking; the others were getting ahead of them. She wasn't familiar enough with the area to know where they were going. Panic threatened to overwhelm her, not for the first time.

Johnny had become aware that the two were lagging behind. He stopped to wait. For the first time Chris noticed just how dirty and haggard the paramedic appeared. She imagined she didn't look a whole lot better. None of them did.

"Come on, we're falling behind," Chris said. A firm grip on his arm, she drew the young man over to where Johnny patiently waited.

"What's your name?" Johnny asked, falling in beside the man. Even the paramedic was a few inches shorter than the young man. "I'm Johnny, this is Chris."

"Spencer. My name's Spencer." He seemed to be going back into his stupor and was having trouble talking. Whether the response was a result of emotional or physical trauma was not apparent. Johnny made a mental note to investigate the possibilities further later on when they'd found someplace safe.

"Well, Spencer, we're going to have to make up a bit of time here. We don't want to lose the others." Increasing the pace, Johnny led the man through the smoke and dust.

The wreckage was thinning out the farther they went. Due to the time of day and the day of the week, a Tuesday, there had been fewer cars on the road this close to the public beaches. It was still slow work though as they made their way along checking each vehicle. It had now been nearly four hours since the initial earthquake. Those that could leave were all ready gone. Those that couldn't were beyond any help they could muster.

"Is it just me or is it getting darker?"Chris asked. She had no idea when the sun typically set on the west coast. A quick glance at her watch told her nothing, the crystal face had been shattered when her car had careened down the embankment. One thing she could be grateful for was that she hadn't hit the officer. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she had.

"Yes, it is," Roy responded. As a group they'd stopped to rest in a clear spot. Ponch was getting tired from carrying his semiconscious partner. "We're going to have to find someplace soon. Once it's dark all hell is going to break loose with looters and such. If is hasn't all ready."

Scared and trying not to show it, Chris turned her attention to the paramedic. He looked about the same as his partner, only paler under the dirt.

"You must have gotten tossed around pretty good when your ambulance flipped. Are you sure you're okay?" Chris asked. It was easier to worry about others than to think about herself. She desperately wanted to go home.

"I'm fine," the paramedic growled, looking away from her.

"You're not helping us by pretending to not be hurt. If you have an injury we need to know. Let us help you," Chris pleaded.

The man turned his head to look at her again and studied her open face. Visibly his shoulders slumped and he face went paler. Chris almost wished she hadn't pushed him to be honest.

"Where?" she asked, settling down in front of him. Johnny had been watching from his position beside the other survivors and moved to join them.

"It's my right side. There are two broken ribs. I used some of the morphine but it's starting to wear off and I don't dare take any more. Even if we had more for me to take," Roy stated. Finally, he let his partner examine his side. Even from her position, Chris could see the deep bruise growing over the skin. When it finished it was going to be impressive and very sore.

"You should have told me," Johnny said. Roy winced and sucked breath between his teeth when his partner palpated the area.

"There's nothing to be done for it," Roy stated.

"I could give you some painkillers," Johnny shot back.

"Only if you plan on carrying me. Besides, there isn't enough left," Roy said. He knew the effects of morphine. He also knew that while in pain, he could still get around without too much trouble. If they started having to climb he would have more difficulty but so far that hadn't been an issue.

"If I have to," Johnny stated. He could see the pain his friend was in. Now that he wasn't covering up, the discomfort burned in Roy's blue eyes. Now that Johnny had the time to look he could see that his partner wasn't breathing quite right either. Clearly it bothered him to take full breaths. Damn.

Tiring of the two men's' macho posturing Christ made her way to the two CHP officers. Ponch looked completely wiped out. His chin was resting on his chest. As Chris drew nearer she could hear his soft snoring. Kneeling beside Jon, she quickly checked his vital signs.

Jon stirred under her fingers and a low moan came from him. Then the blond officer was staring at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," Chris stated.

"Where are we?" he asked quietly. As soon as Ponch had picked him up, aggravating his injuries, the taller man had passed out. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious and he hadn't bothered to ask.

"We're on the freeway somewhere. The dust and smoke's so thick that it's hard to get a definite location," Chris replied. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," Jon admitted before he'd thought about what he was saying. Embarrassed, he blushed despite his best efforts not to. "What's going on?" he asked in an effort to keep the woman from noticing.

"Everyone's tired. We're just resting for a little while. Would you like a drink of water?" Chris asked.

"Yes." Until the woman had mentioned it, Jon hadn't realized just how hungry and thirsty he was. Hunger could wait, thirst couldn't.

Drawing out one of the bottles they'd scrounged, Chris braced Jon's head with one hand and held the bottle to his dry lips. A few mouthfuls were all he could manage. Lowering his head back down, Chris took a couple of swallows herself before handing the bottle off to the next survivor. She found him to be in his mid to late twenties. He had dark hair and eyes. The man had been in pretty much the same boat as Spencer, in shock. Now he seemed to be coming out of it. Nodding his head, he accepted the bottle, drank from it and handed it on.

"So, Officer Baker, what do you usually do when you're not dodging earthquakes?" Chris asked as she settled down beside his head. From the looks of things they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"I have a horse stabled out in the hills. I spend a lot of time riding and training him. I wonder how he is." Jon was hit with a sudden wave of guilt that he hadn't thought of Lightning before.

"Hopefully the stable owners are taking good care of him," Chris tried to reassure him. Now that she was sitting still, exhaustion was rapidly creeping up on her. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept sliding closed.

"Hopefully," Jon echoed. He became aware that the woman had fallen asleep, her back resting against the car he was laying beside. It was nearly dark. The thought of spending the night on the freeway wasn't an appealing one but it looked like they didn't have much of a choice. The only people awake were the man Chris had given the water bottle to and the other dark haired survivor. Everyone else was asleep or unconscious. It was hard to tell the difference from his prone position.

Ignoring the pain as best he could, Jon settled in to wait. The noise of the city was receding to a dull roar as alarms either failed or were turned off. Distantly Jon thought he could make out a siren above the din but it was getting fainter as he struggled to listen. Then it was gone. A little disappointed, he gave into the overwhelming weariness and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm sorry that this chapter is so much shorter. I don't have as much written ahead of time. This is a story that I started writing years ago and never managed to finish. Please have patience. Thank you._

The night passed quickly and quietly for the small group. None of them had intended to spend the night there but the events of the day conspired against them. They were in a tangle of cars and trucks that were either laying on their sides or roofs. Only a few had survived the earthquake unscathed. When Chris finally awakened, she found that most of the dust had cleared from the sky and the sun was lightening the sky behind her.

Johnny was also awake; she could see him fusing over his sleeping partner. She also discovered that she'd been sleeping at an awkward angle as evidenced by the kink in her left shoulder and neck. The pain was incredible as she slowly straightened her head and then massaged the muscles a bit with her fingers.

"Are you all right?" the man beside her asked. He looked like he'd just woken up as well. Beyond him, Spencer was sleeping fitfully. His lanky frame was huddled into a fetal position on the ground.

"Just a bit stiff. How about you?" Chris asked. Johnny had come over and was checking Jon's vitals while he was still asleep.

"About the same. My name's Paul, by the way." He was slowly getting to his feet to stretch out cramped muscles.

"Chris," she answered. Chris paused in the conversation long enough to look at Johnny. He nodded, indicating to her that the CHP officer was still stable. Now that there was some light she took the time to look around them better. To her right the ocean continued to crash against the shoreline. Chris wasn't sure but it seemed to be doing so with more force and violence than it had yesterday. Maybe she was just imagining it.

To her left was the cliff that the freeway ran along. The earth seemed to be more stable here but after the landslide the day before it still made her nervous. Around them for as far as she could see over the wreckage were endless numbers of vehicles. It looked to her as if God had reached down and tossed them around with abandon. The fear grew. Damn, she wished she was at home. In Saskatchewan the only real natural disasters they had to worry about were hail storms and occasional tornados. At least you had a chance to get out of the way when you saw them coming.

"What do we do now?" she asked. Other than an intense hail storm back home, Chris had never lived through a natural disaster before. She didn't really have a clue what to do next.

"Wait for the others to wake up and try to get off at the nearest exit. We need food, water and medical attention," Johnny replied.

"Do you really think it's going to be any better in the city?" Chris asked. The ground trembled. A moment later it stopped. Chris discovered she'd been holding her breath. With a sigh, she exhaled and tried to relax a little.

"I really wish it would quit doing that," she grumbled as she gained her feet. The tremor had awakened the rest of the group, including a frantic Spencer. Feeling the need to distract herself from her fear and hunger, Chris moved over to the man and tried to calm him. It only took a moment for the man to regain his composure.

"Hello!" a male voice called from somewhere ahead of them. "Is anyone there?"

"Over here," Johnny responded as he pulled his partner to his feet carefully. The others were all upright, including Jon who was leaning heavily against Ponch. He was looking pale and weak but at least he was upright. Ponch was very happy with the turn of events; his back was aching from carrying his friend and sleeping on ruptured concrete. Helen, the older woman, had had the sense to crawl into an upright car and sleep in the backseat.

Cars and other vehicles obscured the owner of the voice at first, then a man with curly brown hair appeared, behind him came a slightly taller man with straight blond hair. They were both filthy and bruised. The blond man had a gash over his left eye and was cradling his left arm but at least he was ambulatory. That was Chris's first thoughts, and then she noticed the hand guns both of the men carried. They were pointed directly at the four men in uniform.


	4. Chapter 4

_I hope this is plausible. It made sense when I came up with the idea._

"What do you want?" Johnny asked. Beside him Roy was leaning heavily against the car directly behind him. Now that the morphine was completely worn off, the older man was barely functioning. He couldn't remember ever feeling pain like this before. It burned through his side with the slightest movement, even breathing hurt. He wished desperately that they'd been able to scrounge more supplies out of the ambulance. He would have taken Morphine at the moment if they'd had any to spare.

It was supposed to be a quick transfer. The patient's family didn't want a county hospital treating their father and had insisted on him being sent to a more exclusive hospital. The patient hadn't been stable enough for typical ambulance attendants to move him. Dr. Brackett had asked the two paramedics to do the transfer for him. While it wasn't part of their usual job description it was supposed to take under an hour and Battalion had Okayed it. With a little difficulty, Roy wrenched his attention back to the drama unfolding in front of him.

"Food and water," the curly haired man was saying. He was unhurt and was making sure he knew where everyone was. They'd been on the freeway all night. So far they hadn't found anything worthwhile. Money and such didn't taste very good.

"We don't have any food," Ponch said. He was slowly reaching for the hilt of his service revolver. It was behind Jon's back. He just hoped he wouldn't have to use it. They were in enough trouble all ready.

"Give us your water then. All you have," the man barked. He was losing patience with these people. He knew that the two were CHPs but one of them looked to be out of commission. The other two were LAFD. They didn't carry guns so they were no real danger. The other people in the little group just looked to be beaten and tired. No threat there.

"That's not going to happen. Look, we don't want any trouble here. We'll give you what we can spare but that's all," Johnny said, trying to defuse the situation. They all ready had enough people injured; they didn't need to add a gunshot wound to the mix.

"That's not good enough," the dark haired man said. Angrily, he waved his gun at the nearest survivor. Scared, Spencer tried to move even further away. In his dazed state he wasn't quite fast enough. The dark haired man grabbed him by the nearest arm and pulled him against him. Startled, Spencer tried to struggle but the man pointed the gun directly at his neck. The young man went instantly still.

"Just do what he says," the blond man said. He held a gun as well but wasn't pointing it at anyone in particular. He didn't have the same hardened edge as his friend. Mostly he just looked desperate and tired. "He's not playing games."

Now that the men were distracted, Ponch pulled out his own gun and aimed it at the dark haired man. Jon was left to lean against the nearest car so he wouldn't get in the way. Before Ponch 

could even speak, his partner was slowly sliding down the side of the car to sit on the ground. "Put the gun away. I don't want to hurt you."

"How good a shot are you, cop? Think you can take me out before I kill him?" the curly haired robber asked. Spencer squeaked in pain, despite his best efforts not to. The gun was cold and was held against him with enough force that he could feel it causing bruises that were all ready beginning to swell. The gun travelled around to the back of his neck. He squeaked again.

"We don't need to do this, man," Ponch said. His left hand was held out to the man while his right gripped his service revolver. Ponch was hoping desperately the men would see reason. Reason was not in abundance today it appeared.

"Give me your water, man!" the curly haired guy barked again. He had lost all patience. Grinding the muzzle of his gun further into the young man's neck, he forced the lanky man to his knees. It amused him thoroughly the way Spencer squeaked. Grinning, he forced the sound out of Spencer's lips again with more pressure from the muzzle.

"Jake, stop it," the blond man pleaded. He knew his friend's propensity for violence. He enjoyed it a little too much. As much as he wanted Jake's attention on someone else, he didn't want to see anyone else get hurt. Crazy. "Maybe we should just leave them alone."

"Shut up Sam!" Jake screamed. Angry now, he'd pushed Spencer to the ground. He was so intent on causing the man pain that he'd forgotten about the cop. Sam thought about telling him but changed his mind as he saw the Hispanic cop cover the distance in a heartbeat. Then, Ponch pressed his service revolver into Jake's head, harder than he'd intended to. The man was really pissing him off.

"Let him go," he growled through clenched teeth. CHP training taught you to distance yourself from your emotions in order to deal with situations. Ponch knew he should be able to keep his rage under control but he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Stunned momentarily, Jake had assumed Sam was covering his back; the curly haired man paused while he considered his options. Frustrated, he pulled the gun away from Spencer's neck before dropping it. "Thanks a lot, Sam," he muttered. That was okay. Sam was going to pay for his screw up, he always did.

"On your knees," Ponch barked. He kept his revolver on the man while he slowly crouched. Spencer had scrambled to his feet, against the nearest car. The young man sank to the ground, his back against the cool metal, his knees drawn up, his arms wrapped around them and his head resting on his knees. In moments he was rocking.

Growling under his breath, Ponch shackled the man with his handcuffs. Now what was he going to do with him Ponch wondered. Momentarily he thought about handcuffing Jake to one of the cars and sending someone back for him once they reached help. The thought faded almost immediately. He had no idea how long it would take them to reach someone. The radios on both of the bikes had been rendered inoperative. He assumed the same could be said for the paramedics' communication gear, 

otherwise they would have said something. Besides, he'd seen what was in the medical bags: vials, syringes, etc, but no electronics.

They were reduced to walking until they found an alternative. Tuna Canyon Road was coming up. It would lead them into a populated area but Ponch didn't know what kind of shape they would find it in. He also couldn't just let the man go to prey on anyone else that had survived the earthquake on the freeway. Surely there were other survivors, right?

While he considered the options, Sam hesitantly handed over his gun to Johnny. This hadn't been his idea anyway. He wasn't going to hurt any of these people, least of all the white-haired lady, she reminded him of his grandma.

Now that the immediate danger was over, Johnny dropped the gun into the nearest medical bag and joined Chris who was crouched beside a still rocking Spencer. "Spencer," she said softly. Awkwardly she laid her hand on his nearest shoulder. Under her finger tips she could feel the young man trembling. She didn't really blame him. As if the earthquake wasn't enough.

"Spencer?" Johnny repeated. He took up a position on the other side of the boy. They didn't really have time for this. Psychological injuries didn't cause any lasting physical effects; there were two people with physical injuries that didn't have any time to waste. The doctors could deal with the psychological effects later."We've got to get moving."

"Give him half a minute," Chris insisted. She understood the need to move, but the man needed time to pull himself together. She knew she would. "Spencer? It's okay to be scared. You just had a gun held to your head."

"I'm okay," the young man said suddenly. Johnny and Chris didn't believe him. He was too pale, sweating and shaking like a leaf. Before they could pursue the subject, however, Helen came over to them. The older woman hadn't uttered a word of complaint. Most of the times, Chris forgot she was even with them. She hoped desperately that when she got to be Helen's age that she was just as independent.

"Come on, kiddo," Helen said, reaching to pull Spencer to his feet. "Help an old lady walk."

With that she led him away. Johnny and Chris looked at each other, amused despite the seriousness of the situation. Shaking his head in disbelief, the dark haired paramedic moved over to Sam to assess his injuries. Chris made her way toward Roy. The older man wasn't moving so well this morning.


	5. Chapter 5

"Need any help?" Chris asked. Roy was still leaning against the car. His face was pale and slick with sweat. She could see the pain glowing in his blue eyes when he looked up at her. Her stomach clenched in sympathy. "Are you going to be able to walk?"

The last question sent a momentary flash of stubbornness across Roy's face. He made as if to stand but at the first movement his face crumbled and he nearly found the ground again. Without stopping to think, Chris caught hold of him and kept him on his feet. Pain twisted his face into a grimace; his breath was coming in short gasps. For a second Chris thought Roy was going to pass out on her, and then he recovered a bit. "Yeah, I could use some help," he admitted. _This was going to be a long trip_, he thought.

"Just tell me what to do. I don't want to hurt you," Chris said. She left her hand on his left arm to make sure he didn't fall but otherwise didn't touch him. After seeing the pain so plainly on the man's face she didn't want to make the situation worse for him.

At first Roy didn't say anything as he rode the waves of pain that were flowing through his body. He still felt really light headed because he couldn't quite draw a full breath thanks to the broken ribs on his right side. He knew the pain wouldn't last forever so he hung his head and waited. Around him he could hear the others getting ready to move. Roy wasn't sure he could keep up but he was sure going to try, even if it meant taking help from the woman standing nearby. He hated accepting help.

Finally he was able to stand up straight. Roy's knees were a little watery but he kept on them. He glanced over at Johnny while he considered the best way to do this. His partner was splinting the blond gunman's arm. He'd cleaned up the cut over the man's eye.

Roy looked back at the woman hovering beside him. She was shorter than him by about six inches. That would actually work in his favour. "I'm going to have to lean on your back, is that okay?" he asked. From what little he'd gathered about the woman she didn't appear to like to be touched much. Chris has been very careful to make sure she kept her physical distance from any of them. He wasn't sure if that was because most of the survivors were men or just because they were all strangers. Roy didn't have the time or energy at the moment to find out which was the case.

Chris froze. He could see the fear burn in her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Okay. Whatever you need to do," she said.

Through clenched teeth, Roy gave the woman directions. He'd seen this done in Vietnam when there was no landing zone nearby. It was going to be painful but at least it would keep him moving. The thought of being carried was humiliating and would be even more painful.

Out of the corner of his eye, Roy could see that Johnny was watching from his position beside Sam as he carefully positioned himself and the woman. Satisfied, Roy slowly leaned onto Chris's back. Pain flashed, taking his breath away. Then it passed. He had an arm around her upper torso to help stabilize his ribs. His chest and abdomen were against Chris's back. Distantly he hoped she was strong enough because after a few minutes she would basically be carrying him.

Johnny had come over. Concern was plain on his face. "I could have done that for you," he said.

"You're too tall, Johnny. It wouldn't have worked. Are we ready?" Roy tried to keep his voice as even as possible.

"Yeah, I think so," Johnny responded. He looked over at Ponch and Jon to see how they were doing. Jon was upright again with Ponch on his right side, helping him stay that way. The other members of their little group were also waiting patiently. Johnny suddenly realized that he didn't even know some of their names. He made a mental note to remedy that as soon as possible. A short distance ahead of them he could just make out Helen and Spencer as they wound their way through the wreckage. "Okay, let's go."

XXXXX

It was slow going. Between the injured, the handcuffed and the wreckage the small group was moving much slower than Ponch had hoped. At the rate they were moving he figured they'd probably reach Tuna Canyon Road before nightfall but not the populated area beyond. They were looking at another night in the elements. They'd been lucky last night, the weather had held and it had stayed warm but all ready he could feel a cool wind blowing in from the ocean. They were going to have to find some shelter for the night. The Hispanic officer tried to swallow his impatience. They were doing the best they could.

Up ahead, Johnny could see Spencer and Helen picking their way through the debris. The older woman was doing very well but still insisted on holding onto Spencer's arm. They were far enough away that the younger paramedic couldn't make out what they were saying but they appeared to be excited about something. Then he saw it. A few yards ahead of them stood a freeway phone. None of the others had noticed. Johnny watched as they made their way up to it. Spencer picked up the receiver and put it to his ear. A few breathless moments passed. Spencer reached up to the main part of the phone. He didn't appear to be getting any signal. After a minute or two, he gave up and put the receiver back down.

The rest of them had caught up with them. Ponch left Jon leaning against the nearest car and went to the phone himself. Despite everything he tried, he was unable to get a dial tone or any form of signal out. Cursing under his breath, he hit the phone with the receiver and walked away.

"Guess we won't be airlifted out of here anytime soon," Chris said. Roy was leaning against her pretty heavily. She wasn't even sure that the man was even really aware of what was going on around him. She'd talked just to hear a voice, even her own. The group had been moving silently, even Jake. She needed to feel connected.

"No, I guess not," Roy breathed into her ear. Unconsciously his arm tightened around her shoulders as he rode the newest wave of pain. Right now he was simply living one foot at a time. He was unable to consider anything else.

"How much farther do we have to go? All I see is more highway, cliffs and water. Is there still anything else left in the world?" Chris was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. She didn't want to be here. Her brother would be frantic with worry. Distantly she wondered how he'd faired through all of this.

"It's not much farther," Roy assured her. He'd lost track of where they were but he knew they would run into civilization eventually.

"Okay," Chris replied. Taking a deep breath she started forward again. She wasn't sure Roy really knew how much farther they had to go but it didn't matter. They'd get there when they got there. Standing around complaining about how hard things were wasn't going to get them anywhere. She'd find her brother but first she had to find herself.

XXXXX

"Finally," Ponch muttered under his breath. It felt like he'd swallowed sand and the stench from the wrecked cars and bodies was getting worse. Relief spread through him as he looked at the off ramp to Tuna Canyon Road. Beside him Jon was sagging. He'd managed to keep going pretty good until the last ten minutes or so. The rest of the group staggered to a halt. The general consensus was that the world didn't exist beyond the next foot step. That was all they'd been concentrating on.

"What?" Paul asked. His brown eyes were a little blurry. His lips were dry with dehydration. Not familiar with this part of the city he had to depend on the CHP officers for their knowledge.

"We get off here," Ponch stated. Carefully, he led his partner along the cement. The pavement had ruptured in places, making the going a little tough. Eventually, he got himself and Jon onto the road. A short distance away there was a level area with no wreckage. They needed to rest and drink. He set off in that direction.

"How are you doing?" Chris asked. Roy was leaning heavily on her back. She could feel him tremble as the pain flared with each movement. She didn't know how he managed to keep on his feet.

"Okay," was all Roy would commit to. One breath at a time, one foot at a time. That was all that mattered at the moment.

Johnny had been following his partner by a few feet. He was very grateful to see that Ponch was heading to a place they could rest. Everyone needed a breather and they needed whatever water they could scrounge. He'd been thinking of the alternatives. If necessary they would use the fluid bags Roy had rescued out of the ambulance. They would have had more but the fluids in glass IV bottles had smashed when the ambulance rolled. He supposed they were lucky that there had been any plastic IV bags at all.

Spencer was still walking with Helen. The older woman had a calming influence on him. There was probably a psychological reason for that but he wasn't in the mental state to pursue the possibilities. Suddenly the information he'd learned in his university classes had more relevance. If only 

he could find the energy to apply them. A short ways away stood the gunmen that had tried to rob them. Spencer wished they had been left behind. Every time he looked at Jake his hand started to tremble again. To distract himself, he looked at the other two men that had been part of their group from the first.

Both men were a bit shorter than Spencer. At six feet, three inches he was the tallest person here. Not an unusual situation for him. One of them had dark hair and eyes. He had hardly said a word since wandering into camp the day before. Spencer wasn't sure if it was because of shock or just because he didn't have anything to say. Either way there were times he appreciated the man's silent presence and at others he kind of gave him the creeps.

The other man was about six feet tall, a powerful build and curly blond hair. He too had been virtually silent. His blue eyes seemed to take in everything and give nothing in return. Those eyes turned to return Spencer's scrutiny. Flustered, the younger man made to look away, and then he saw a small smile crease the older man's lips. "Hi," the man said, hesitantly.

"Hey," Spencer responded. "I'm Spencer."

"Thomas," was the quiet reply. The man appeared confident and yet reserved bordering on shyness. An odd combination Spencer thought. Spencer's stomach growled. Beside him he was sure he heard Helen's stomach echo its agreement.

"Good, it looks like we're going to get to rest," Helen said. Her feet ached, as did her ankles, hips and knees. This was the farthest she'd walked in years. As much as she'd asked for help to keep Spencer moving, now she appreciated his help.

The other man looked up. He'd been studying the ground he'd been covering in an attempt to keep from falling. What was happening in front of him hadn't really mattered. Until now. He scanned the other members of the group and then saw where the CHP officer was headed. He quickened his step. Somehow he'd survived the earthquake and resulting car crash with superficial cuts and a few bruises. The others might need some help.


	6. Chapter 6

With a heartfelt sigh, Jon sank to the ground. They were on the roadside. Several yards ahead of them there had been a landslide that had partially blocked the road. It hadn't erased the area completely as had happened back on the freeway. It was just going to make it a little harder to climb over the loose soil and debris.

This was their third stop since turning onto this road. Each stop had been longer and had a shorter distance between. Johnny had portioned out the water as best he could but they were still all showing signs of dehydration. They were going to have to find water and food soon. He sat back on his haunches and looked around.

On either side of the road were canyon walls. They were high enough to make climbing them in the group's present state a last option. The canyon walls were covered with brush. Johnny supposed that if they had to they could make a shelter of some kind out of them. He still had his knife in its belt pouch. A small groan sounded beside him. Concerned, Johnny turned his attention to his partner.

Roy was sitting on the ground, leaning against a piece of broken asphalt. His eyes were closed but Johnny could see that he was still in a great deal of pain. Frustrated, Johnny rummaged through the medical bags again. There had to be something, anything to help his friend. For that matter, Jon and Sam could use some painkillers as well. He knew the contents of the bags by heart and so wasn't too surprised when he came up empty. "Damn it," he swore under his breath.

"What's wrong, pally?" Roy asked.

Startled, Johnny looked at his friend's face. There was mischief in his blue eyes that almost covered the pain. "How are you?" he asked on reflex.

"I'm as good as can be expected. How are you?" Roy asked. It hurt some to talk but he hurt anyway. Roy had seen the exhaustion and frustration on the younger man's face. He knew part of that was from worry about him.

"I'm fine. Ponch thinks we should reach the city streets tomorrow. I think he's gone off to look for some place for us to spend the night," Johnny stated.

"Good idea. It's getting colder than it was last night. The last thing any of us needs is to have to deal with the effects of exposure," Roy agreed. It was easier to talk in a professional capacity. It somehow distanced the pain and made it a bit more manageable.

"That's what we were thinking too. I'm not familiar with this area. I'm not even sure where the hospital we were going to is from here." Johnny wished desperately that he did. He'd have them all trek cross-country to get there if he had to. Chris was resting beside Roy. He wasn't sure how much strength the woman had in her. She'd basically been carrying Roy for the last quarter mile. Concerned, he took a closer look at her sweat and soot covered face.

Chris was lying beside Roy with her eyes closed. Her face was reddened from exertion under the grime and sweat but she seemed to be breathing deeply and easily. For all he knew the woman was asleep.

"I'm no help there, either," Roy stated, bringing his partner's attention back to him. "How long has he been gone?"

Before Johnny had a chance to respond Ponch came trudging back over the hill of soil and debris. His tan uniform was filthy. Johnny supposed they all looked pretty much the same. A quick glance at his dark blue uniform showed layers of dust, blood and sweat.

"Okay," Ponch was saying. "If we can get over this pile there's a spot up on the canyon wall where we can get out of the wind and maybe start a fire."

Now that the CHP officer had mentioned fire, Johnny was sure he could smell smoke on the wind coming down the canyon road. Fear spiked through his system. That was the last thing they needed. If the water mains had ruptured, as frequently happened with earthquakes, the firefighters on duty wouldn't be able to do anything but stand back and watch as entire city blocks burned. The thought sent chills down his spine. _A fire might not be the best idea_, he thought.

"Is there any food?" Jake demanded. He was sitting between Thomas and the other man that Spencer didn't know. Spencer had carefully situated himself as far from them as he could while still remaining in the group.

"Not that I've seen," Ponch replied. "Once the injured are situated some of us will go and look farther." He hated being in charge. That was usually Jon's job. Even being the one on probation, Jon Baker was a much better natural leader than Frank Poncherello. He had a terrible fear in the pit of his stomach that he might be screwing this whole thing up. If he was, though, the rational part of his brain told him that the paramedic, Johnny Gage, would let him know.

With a few muffled groans, the group gained their feet. Chris had not been sleeping. She forced her protesting body to a vertical position and then helped Johnny get Roy up with a minimum of pain. As much as her back ached from the man leaning on her, she was happy that she seemed to be helping him. She braced herself physically and mentally as she felt the man's body lean into her own and then felt his arm creep across her throat and shoulders.

"Ready?" she asked. All ready the man was trembling. Whether from pain or exhaustion she couldn't tell. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Yeah," Roy said by her left ear.

"Hold on tight, this could get rough," she stated as she took a careful step forward. Up ahead she could see Ponch helping/carrying Jon and Spencer helping Helen navigate the landslide. The two men had taken up the responsibility of making sure that Jake and Sam stayed with them. She was happy 

to leave it to them. They were stronger than her and more intimidating than she could ever be. Behind her, Chris could hear Johnny bring up the rear, medical bags in hand.

XXXXX

The going was even worse than Chris had imagined. The loose soil and debris kept her feet twisting under her. Roy was barely conscious as they stumbled along. She could feel his arm shaking with violent tremors, much worse than before. Johnny had his arm around Roy's back to keep him from falling backward. Maybe carrying him would have been a better idea.

Chris was about to turn around and suggest the idea to Johnny when a sound caught her attention. She stopped short to listen to it without the distraction of her feet sliding in the dirt. "Do you hear that?" she asked.

Johnny had stopped as well and cocked his head to listen. "Sounds like a helicopter," Johnny replied, hope burning in his voice.

Some of the others had noticed the gentle thudding sound as well. Gradually the thud became clearer. Craning their necks, they all tried to spy the air craft. Then it came over the horizon and slowly made its way parallel to their position. Some of the group shouted and waved their arms in an attempt to get the pilot's attention but it was now use. A rainbow appeared below the aircraft then it headed back to the right.

"What's it doing?" Chris asked.

"It's a water bomber. There must be fires ahead," Johnny stated, his voice devoid of emotion. That changed a lot. If the fires were uncontrolled they may speed along the canyon and trap them in a firestorm. That was the last thing any of them needed.

"Great. Now we have to worry about burning to death too?" Spencer whined. Exhaustion and shock were beginning to really take a toll on his normally sunny personality.

"First things first," Johnny said. "The sun's going down. We need to find somewhere to spend the night. The rest of it can wait until we're settled." With that he indicated to Ponch to lead the way.


	7. Chapter 7

It wasn't much, just a gulley that ran down into the canyon. It was six feet deep at its deepest and got more shallow as it went up the canyon wall. At least it kept them out of the wind. The wind had gotten worse. It blew up the canyon like a cyclone and caused the ambient temperature to drop several degrees. The warm day was going to turn into a chilly night. As much as Johnny didn't like the idea, they were going to have to start a fire to keep warm. None of them had the physical reserves to do it themselves.

"Stay here with Roy," Johnny said to Chris once they had the older paramedic settled on the ground and reasonably comfortable. "Helen will stay here as well while we look for food."

"Okay," Chris responded. She really hadn't wanted to go wandering around by herself anyway. She wasn't at all familiar with the area and was feeling a little overwhelmed again. Chris was sitting beside Roy. The man appeared to be sleeping. She hoped he was anyway, the trip here had been really hard on him. A short distance away she could see that Jon also seemed to be asleep. "What about them?"

Johnny followed her line of sight and saw Sam and Jake sitting at the bottom of the gulley. Sam was careful to stay a good distance from his former partner. Jake, meanwhile, radiated menace. Leaving him alone would be a really bad idea. "I'm not dragging them around while I look for food. We'll leave them here."

"I'll stay here with them," Spencer offered. The man was cuffed. He didn't really present a threat but Spencer wanted to face it anyway. He was tired of feeling like a victim, like a coward. Now was as good a time as any to take positive action. "If I can have one of the officer's guns." He wasn't stupid after all.

Ponch had been listening in on the conversation. "I don't know if that's such a good idea," he said. He didn't want to leave Jon and the others staying behind in danger but he didn't want to hand over his partner's service revolver to a civilian either.

"I'll take him with me," he finally suggested. Sam, Jake's partner in crime, wasn't in good enough shape to really cause any problems. Ponch wasn't sure he would even if he was given the chance. "I'm going to head down the canyon a bit and then hang left. Hopefully I'll be able to find something before the sun goes down."

"I'm going to climb to the top of the canyon and see what I can find from there," Johnny replied. He was relieved that the CHP officer was going to be taking Jake with him. The farther the man was from the injured the better. There was hardness to his eyes that set the paramedic's nerves on edge.

"I'll keep going along the road. Maybe there'll be something along it," Thomas volunteered. He hadn't contributed much to their survival yet. He was going to change that.

"I'll look around, see if there's anything interesting nearby," the other man stated. He was all ready headed down to the road. He crossed the broken pavement and scrambled up the other side.

"Here, take this." Ponch pulled his baton out of his police belt and handed it to Spencer. He didn't want to leave the others here without some form of protection. Even skinny Spencer was better than nothing. "We'll be back just after nightfall."

"Okay," Spencer responded. The baton wasn't as impressive as the gun but that was all right. He hoped desperately he wouldn't have to try to use it.

Ponch moved over to Jake and pulled him to his feet with the change between the handcuffs. Silently he slid down the gulley and continued down the road in the direction they'd been going. Jake struggled against being pulled and complained the entire time. Johnny was happy when they got far enough away that he couldn't hear them anymore.

"That boy has a dirty mouth," Helen muttered from her position below Chris and Roy.

"That he does," Johnny agreed. "It would be a good idea if you collected some wood while we were gone. Make sure the wood is dry and old, it'll burn better. Just don't go too far away from camp." He'd turned his attention to Spencer and Chris.

"No problem," Chris said as the younger paramedic scaled the gulley to reach the top of the canyon. In a matter of moments he was gone. Fear gnawed at her stomach. Angry with herself, Chris checked on the still sleeping Roy and then made her way over to Jon. A quick check confirmed that he was also all right. She thought about checking Sam but she still didn't trust the man.

"Keep an eye on him," she said to Helen as she passed the woman. "If he does anything that makes you nervous just call out and we'll come back."

"Certainly, dear," Helen responded, smiling up at her from her position on the ground. "Just don't be gone too long."

"I'm not going far. I'm too scared of getting lost." Chris glanced over at Spencer and saw the tall man start searching their immediate area for firewood. Steeling herself, she scrambled a few yards away and took up the search as well.


	8. Chapter 8

_I've thrown some other characters into this that aren't mine. I've just borrowed them, I'm not making any money from this but I couldn't resist. Sorry._

_I own Helen, Chris, Sam, Thomas and Jake. Paul is Paul Callen from Miracles, Spencer is Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds and Nick is Nick Stokes from CSI. I've thrown them into the 1970's and changed their characters accordingly. Please don't hate me._

"Do you think that'll be enough wood for one night?" Spencer asked. He'd just dropped another load of branches on the ground below where Roy was resting. Roy managed to force his eyes open long enough to consider the pile the two had accumulated so far.

"Probably not," was his expert opinion. The pain had subsided to a dull ache but now he found that he had very little energy. The thought of a fire was comforting. It would be almost like camping out. Man, he must really be shocky.

"Okay," Spencer sighed. The sun was nearly below the horizon. He'd heard and seen the helicopter a couple more times but it never came close enough for him to signal it. Frustration burned in his mind. They needed to get out of here. Angrily, he stumbled through the shrubs to begin his search again.

A short distance away, Chris nearly had her arms full as she scrounged through the shrubs as well. She didn't mind doing it. She could still keep an eye on the four in camp while keeping busy enough to ignore the rumbling in her stomach. The only drawback was that the more she moved around, the worse her thirst became. Distantly she hoped the others had found something.

Her arms full, Chris made her way over to the pile. She dropped the wood, being careful that none of it rolled down hill. Wiping her hands on her dirty jeans, she knelt down beside Jon. The CHP officer was still sleeping fitfully. She checked his pulse and breathing but they seemed to be okay. Gently, so as not to wake the man, she touched the skin on his cheek. It was cool and a little clammy. They were going to have to get this fire going soon. But, since she didn't have any matches, all she could do was continue to collect firewood. Sighing, she set off again.

Chris reached the top of the canyon wall. Standing up she looked around. At first all she saw were more canyons running toward the ocean on either side of her. Then she gradually made out billows of smoke in the distance. The longer she looked at them the dark the smoke became. Something other than wood was burning. The smoke seemed impossibly far away. At least it meant they weren't going to have to worry about it tonight. Tomorrow would be a different story.

After a few moments she managed to tear her eyes away from the horizon. Civilization may be there but she and the others were here. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the shrubs at her feet.

A hand came to rest on her arm. Jumping in fright, Chris took a few steps backward and would have slid down the canyon wall if Johnny hadn't caught hold of her and kept her on her feet.

"Sorry about that. I thought you heard me coming up," the paramedic apologized. He held a great big jug of water and a garbage bag. There was a silly grin on his worn face.

"That's okay. I should have been paying more attention. You found water?" Chris could barely contain her excitement. Just looking at the bottle made her salivate. Guess she wasn't as dehydrated as she'd thought.

"Yeah. There's a gas station about half a mile away. No one's there and the phone didn't work," Johnny replied as he led the way back to camp.

"Couldn't we go spend the night there?" Chris wanted to know. She had to scramble to catch up with the longer legged man. She'd just about reached him when the ground shook again.

Instinctively, Chris threw herself to the ground and tried not to slide as the ground continued to buck underneath her. A few feet away, Johnny had fallen into a crouch and was holding onto the water and bag with desperation. The soil under their feet began to give way and slide downhill. Chris felt a scream working its way up from her chest when the shaking finally stopped.

Gasping for breath, she placed a hand on Johnny's back. She needed to feel the presence of another human being. This was beginning to be too much. When would it end?

"You okay?" Johnny asked. He was looking over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah," was all Chris could manage as she got a hold of her jangled nerves and pushed herself up to her feet again. "What's in the bag?"

"It's a surprise," was all Johnny would say. Grinning again, he climbed down the hill until he reached his partner. "How're you doing, Roy?"

"I'm ready to get out of here," Roy replied. Even in the deepening darkness he could see the large jug of water. It looked like it belonged in an office building staff room.

"Me, too." Johnny glanced at the other members of the group that had stayed behind. Casually, he opened up the garbage bag and pulled two blankets out of it. He laid one over the still sleeping Jon and offered the other to Helen.

"That's all right, Mr. Gage," Helen responded. "I'm warm enough. You better give it to your partner. He's in more danger of shock than I am."

"Thanks, Helen," Johnny replied gratefully. He moved over to Roy and gently covered him. Johnny saw Roy preparing to argue that he didn't need it. "Ah, ah, ah, ah, paramedic's orders."

Several emotions passed over Roy's face, ranging from anger to surprise. Amusement won out as a low chuckle escaped his lips.

"Whatever you say, junior," Roy agreed. He didn't have the energy to have a discussion about this. Also, as much as he hated to admit it, the blanket felt pretty good. It smelled of oil, grease and gasoline. Somehow it made him feel more at home.

"Where did you find this stuff?" Spencer asked. Johnny was carefully filling the canteen with water. It was the most beautiful thing he could remember seeing. Once it was full, he passed it around, starting with Roy.

"Garage, half a mile away. That's not the only thing I found." With a flourish, he began to pull bags of chips and chocolate bars out of the garbage bag. "They aren't part of a balanced diet but they'll keep us going for a little while."

"I've got some vegetables," Thomas said. He'd come up during the activity and hadn't been noticed. In his hand he held a bag that was filled to capacity with raw carrots.

"Where did you get these?" Helen asked, pulling one out of the bag and examining it. "It still has dirt on it."

Colour rose on Thomas's cheeks. "I found a garden. No one was home and the house had all ready been looted."

"Bless your heart," Helen breathed. Brushing the dirt off with her hand, she sank her teeth into the orange flesh. Stolen or not, it tasted wonderful after two days of nothing.

Within minutes their hunger was sated as was their thirst. Setting some of it aside for the others and for the rest of their trip, Johnny set about starting a small fire. Chris and Spencer had collected a lot of wood but he wanted to make sure that it wouldn't spread. Even though the gulley protected them from the worse part of the winds, it still let enough in that the breezes swirled around.

In his journeys, Johnny had seen the fire plume as well. He knew that there was a real risk of fire overtaking them if they weren't vigilant. He spent several minutes collecting large stones. Even pieces of cement were enlisted as he built a ring to keep the fire inside. Satisfied, the firefighter set about making a small fire. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

"You make a good boy scout," Roy commented. He'd been watching his partner prepare the fire pit and start the fire. It had struck him as funny but as he'd learned earlier it hurt too much to laugh. Now that he'd had some water and a bag of chips he felt more like himself again, minus the stabbing pains through his ribs.

"Thanks," Johnny responded, sarcasm dripping from the word. The sun was nearly down. In the gulley it was all ready dark. He was grateful for the light the fire put out. Scenes from the garage kept playing through his head, setting his nerves on edge. The place had been trashed. The garage was in an industrial park. There were signs that a fire had been started in the counter area but luckily, despite all the accelerants present it had sputtered out. Thank goodness for brick buildings.

Johnny was getting ready to leave through the back door when he spotted a door. Apparently the vandals hadn't noticed it behind the piles of tires but inside he'd found a vending machine and the water cooler. Guilt had flared while he broke into the vending machine but he didn't have a choice. They desperately needed the food and the water. Before he left he checked for anything else that might have been of use but everything was smashed. A glance out the broken front window hadn't shown Johnny anything. Whoever had broken in was long gone.

Chris had gone over to Jon and woken the man up. She'd helped him sit up so that he too could drink the water and eat some of the food. They needed to keep the man's strength up. Once they got into the urban setting Chris had the feeling they were going to need everyone to be mobile. Or as mobile as they could possibly be.

"Thanks," Jon said as he slowly sat up. He had no idea how long he'd slept but it was now dark. Concern for his partner quickly surfaced. "Where's Ponch?"

"He went looking for food and water. He took Jake with him," Chris replied.

"How long ago was that?" If he could, Jon would have gotten to his feet and set out in search of the Hispanic officer. If anyone was going to find trouble, it was Ponch.

"I'm not really sure. My watch broke yesterday and I'm not so good at telling time by the position of the sun." Chris had been trying to lighten the officer's mood but from the look he shot her, she'd failed. "I'm sure he's fine."

"I hope you're right."

_So do I, _Chris thought to herself_._


	9. Chapter 9

Those left of the group settled around the fire. Roy and Jon were left lying on the ground on two sides while the others found what room they could on the other two sides. Chris found herself between Roy's feet and Sam. The man had been silent. Even though he had been part of the plan to rob them, the blond man didn't give her the creeps. She considered that to be a good sign.

Johnny, Spencer and Helen were deep in conversation. Chris had lost the line of thought a few minutes ago so she didn't bother to try to follow it now. She was finding that she was having difficulty concentrating on any one thing for very long. The only thought that stayed in her head was her worry for her brother. Tears threatened. Desperately she hoped no one noticed as she stared into the flames dancing in the fire pit.

Paul appeared beside her. Startled, Chris nearly jumped out of her skin. A slight grin spread across the younger man's face. "Sorry," he said.

"You did that deliberately, didn't you?" Chris demanded. She wasn't really angry. In the state she had been in a whole herd of elephants could have come up behind her and she wouldn't have heard them.

"No, not really," Paul responded. He had a large backpack slung over his right shoulder. "I found some food."

Casually, he pulled wrapped cheese, crackers, and tins out of the bag. He also had containers of fruit juice. "How are things here?"

During the journey, he'd been watching the CHP officer, fireman and Sam struggle. He would have stepped forward to help but the others seemed to have it handled. He chose to hang back a bit and make sure that Jake didn't try anything and to make sure no one came up on them from behind. It wasn't a role he was used to but the world had changed. If he wanted to survive this, he was going to have to adjust to the new realities.

"Thank God you had the fire going," Ponch said out of the dark. The group, as one, jumped a few inches and turned toward his voice. Jon was relieved to see his partner enter the circle of light. He was closely followed by Jake and the other man. Jon thought his name was Nick. "I wouldn't have found my way back otherwise."

"We were beginning to wonder about you," Helen said. Relief was evident in her voice.

"Well, it took a little longer than I'd planned," Ponch admitted. Exhausted, he slumped to the ground where Helen had made room for him. He produced a couple of bottles of pop from a paper bag and several tins from another bag. Lastly, he pulled out a can opener. "The streets and houses are a real mess."

"I thought I was going to get mugged," Nick stated. He had some more cans and a bag of buns. He also pulled out a small Coleman water jug and put it beside the other provisions. At least now they wouldn't starve or die of thirst. Things were looking up.

Nick wasn't a small guy. He had broad shoulders and powerful arms but he'd still felt very unsafe wandering around the streets. Whole houses had been reduced to piles of rubble. Some were burning brightly, others were dark holes. People's lives had stopped. Some were in shock but most of the ones Nick had met were dazed and confused. They had resorted to a mob mentality. He guessed it made looking at the devastation bearable.

"It's pretty scary out there," Thomas agreed. He too had felt unsafe. It had been a relief to get back to the group. "What are our plans tomorrow?"

Ponch suddenly wished the man would go back to not talking. He didn't know what to do tomorrow. He'd hoped to get some inspiration during his search. All he'd found was death and destruction. He wasn't sure he wanted to take the wounded there. But, they had to find help and they weren't going to find it sitting here.

"We will head into the urban area. Maybe we can find someone of authority that can get us help. At the very least, maybe we'll find someplace to spend the night that isn't under the stars," Johnny filled in for his CHP counterpart. He didn't want to take the injured and the women into a dangerous situation but they weren't helping themselves by staying here. Who knew how long it would take for the city to bother to clean up the landslide they'd passed. "I'm hoping that the helicopter may come close enough for us to signal it."

"Sounds good," Ponch agreed. He didn't have any better ideas. All he wanted to do was keep moving. Beside him Jon was sound asleep, the blanket wrapped tightly around him. He took enough time to drink some water and eat a can of beans before settling down for the night.

"Should we be keeping watch or something?" Nick asked.

"That would be a good idea," Thomas said. He knew he wouldn't sleep well despite the exhaustion he was feeling. He'd seen too much, he knew what kind of dangers were out there.

"I'll take the first watch," Paul offered. After what he'd seen, he wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep anytime in the near future anyway. Thomas offered to take the second watch, Nick the third and Ponch the fourth. Satisfied that they'd be relatively safe, the others settled in for the night.

Within half an hour, however, most of them were up and sitting around the fire again. Apparently sleep was a commodity that only the injured possessed. "So," Helen said, looking around the circle of faces. Paul was sitting a short distance away from the fire, beyond the ring of light, so he could see if anyone was coming. "Anyone know any ghost stories?"

A quiet chuckle rang around the circle. "I think we've seen enough ghost stories," Thomas stated.

"Well, then. What did you used to do, Spencer?" Johnny asked. He spent a few minutes checking on his sleeping partner and then the CHP officer to make sure their life signs were still stable. Better to 

get their minds off ghosts or what they'd seen so far. He figured bringing up the past was probably the safest bet.

"Well," Spencer began, a little taken aback that he'd been singled out. "I just finished presenting my doctorate thesis in psychology. I'd decided to celebrate and go sit on the beach for a little while. I guess I should have planned a bit better."

"I think we all feel that way," Helen sympathized. "Aren't you a little young to be a doctor?"

"I actually have three doctorates," Spencer stated. He actually looked a little humble as he said it. "They tell me I'm a genius."

"Oh," was all that Helen could come up with. Well, she had asked, hadn't she?

"What about you, Thomas?" Johnny wanted to get to know all of them.

"I'm an actor." With the man's blond hair, blue eyes and strong body he could very well be an actor. Johnny just didn't recognize him from any movies or TV shows he'd seen. "But mostly I work as a cook in a seafood restaurant along the beach. I'd just finished my shift and was headed home."

"Ah." Johnny didn't quite know what to make of that so he chose to not comment at all. "Nick?"

"I work in forensics. I evaluate evidence at crime scenes," the dark haired man responded. That admission surprised Johnny. With the man's build he'd expected some kind of physical labour, not a scientific job. So much for first impressions.

"Your turn, Chris," Johnny prompted.

"Well," Chris began. Johnny was sure she was blushing but it could also have been the light thrown out by the fire. She kept her head down when she talked, not looking at any of them. "I'm Canadian. I came to Los Angeles with my oldest brother. He is here for a conference and thought I might enjoy the chance to see the big city. He had seminars yesterday and I'd decided to explore a little on my own. Obviously that didn't turn out so well."

"What part of Canada do you come from?" Helen asked.

"Saskatchewan. It's part of the Great Plains area. It borders on Montana and North Dakota."

"Do you live in an igloo?" Helen asked. She couldn't help herself.

"No. We have a regular house. The winters are cold but the summers are warm. Right now I'd trade this beautiful weather we're having for the cold of winter there in a heartbeat. At least I don't have to worry about the ground moving under my feet."

"What were you doing when all this started, Helen?" Johnny wanted to steer the conversation away from Chris. The woman was practically squirming in her seat. Obviously she didn't much like to be the center of attention.

"Oh, I was taking a walk along the beach. I try to every day. I think it's good for my health. Usually, anyway." The older woman smiled. As much as this was all an inconvenience, she almost welcomed the change in her routine. After a while a routine became a deep rut that was hard to climb out of. Retirement wasn't all it was cracked up to be, especially if your husband dies before you.

"Paul," Johnny called out quietly. He figured the smaller man wasn't so far away that he couldn't listen in to their conversation. "What did you used to do?"

"I'm on sabbatical from my job. I work for the church but needed some time off to work through some personal issues," Paul said. He didn't seem the least bit embarrassed by his admission. But then, it was hard to tell in the dark.

"What did you do for the church?" Nick asked.

"I was an investigator," was all the man would say.

"Aren't you going to ask us?" Jake sneered. He and Sam were sitting to one side of the fire. He supposed they really didn't have anywhere else to go but it burned him that they still had his hands cuffed. Why weren't Sam's?

"You're a thief. What more do we need to know?" Ponch stated. He was still beside Jon, keeping his body between his partner and the dark but he wasn't able to sleep either. He knew that was an unfair generalization but he didn't like the man. Everything about Jake rubbed him the wrong way.

"Why, I wasn't always a thief," Jake said, his voice managing to sound injured.

"I don't care," Ponch responded. "Go to sleep before I gag you."

"Well, we'd all better try to get some sleep," Johnny broke in. "We're going to need to get moving at first light."


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing Roy became aware of was that he was hot. Then the pain in his ribs overcame him. Groaning, he pushed the blanket off and forced his body to sit up. When he opened his eyes he discovered that the sun was just coming up over the horizon. A splash of colour lit the sky to the east but he was in darkness. The fire was down to glowing embers.

Breathing slowly while he waited for his ribs to calm down, Roy took a closer look at the horizon. There was something missing. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The dark clouds of smoke were ominous. It turned the sunrise blood red. Staring until his eyes watered, it finally hit him. There should have been lights. Even if the houses were all dark the streets should have still had lights burning at this time in the morning. Beneath the first rays of sunlight the ground was dark. The power must be out over most of the city and surrounding area. That didn't bode well.

Johnny stirred a few feet away. He rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes to protect them from the slowly increasing light. Roy had seen the younger man sleep the same way many times in the bunkhouse at the station. Briefly he wondered how Station 51 had survived the earthquake. Hopefully it was far enough away from the epicentre than it had remained intact. His thoughts then turned to his house. After several seconds worrying about what he'd find when he finally got home, he decided there was nothing to be done about it now.

Steeling himself, he reached over Johnny and picked up the canteen. He knew water would still be an issue despite the fact that they seemed to have a lot of it at the moment. So, he took two small mouthfuls and replaced the container. Now that it was getting a little lighter out, he looked around at his fellow travellers.

Ponch was sitting a short distance away, apparently on guard duty. He and the CHP officer were the only ones currently awake. Sprawled here and there, the others were still sleeping deeply. Wait a minute, someone was missing. A quick headcount revealed that Jake was no longer among them.

"Ponch, where's Jake?" he asked in as loud a voice as he could manage.

The CHP officer jumped. Apparently he hadn't noticed that Roy was awake. Then Ponch looked at where he thought Jake had been sleeping. He wasn't there. "Damn it," he swore. He should have known better than to concentrate so hard on keeping people out. He'd missed the man slipping away before the sun came up.

"Well, there's nothing we can do now," Roy said. It was almost a relief that the man was gone. There had been a violence about him that had made the paramedic nervous.

"Let's just hope he doesn't cause us trouble later on," Ponch replied. He was kicking himself for not seeing the man. He could have slit someone's throat while he was keeping watch or stolen some of their food or water. That thought gave him pause. Standing up he moved over to their small pile of provisions. Most of it was there, or so he thought. He couldn't quite remember what all they'd scrounged.

"I'm sure he's long gone by now," Roy assured him. Now that he wasn't thirsty anymore hunger was letting itself be known. Quickly he glanced through the supplies and chose an Eatmore bar. It probably wasn't the best choice to start the day but it was packed with nuts for energy. He had a feeling he was going to need all the energy he could get to get through the day.

"I hope you're right," Ponch said.

"Hey, Roy, how are you feeling?" Johnny asked. Yawning, he wiped a hand over his face and then nodded to the CHP officer. He was glad to see his partner awake. Roy had slept so much since they'd stopped he was worried he might be slipping into shock.

"Okay. How are you?" He took the wrapper from the chocolate bar and threw it on the embers. The fire flared for a moment and then died down again. The wrapper boiled and compressed into a small ball of plastic. For some reason it fascinated him to watch it. It took nearly every ounce of will he possessed to pull his eyes away from the blackened pea.

"I miss my bed," Johnny stated simply. Gaining his feet, he carefully stretched a kink out of his back. "What's going on?"

"Jake ran away in the night." Roy had no idea when the man had left. If there had been no ambient light at all except for the fire, it would have been easy for the man to slip away.

"That's a bad thing?" Johnny asked. The others were stirring. Quickly, he moved among them to make sure everyone was all right.

Sam had a dumbfounded look on his face when he realized Jake was gone. He didn't think the man would leave him alive. Relief warred with concern. Somehow he didn't think they were done with Jake quite yet. He kept that hunch to himself for the time being. He was hoping desperately that he was wrong.

As quickly as they could, the group ate a light breakfast and drank a small amount of water. From his backpack, Paul produced three canteens that he'd found in a sporting goods store. The remainder of the large jug was poured into them. The canteens would be much easier to carry. Once everyone had eaten, Johnny and Thomas set about packing the supplies. The backpack proved invaluable, it held a great number of cans. The only problem was that it got heavy very quickly. They were going to have to take turns carrying it. Paul was taking the first shift.

Johnny took the time to do an inventory of the medical supplies in the bags. It didn't take long before he had everything that was left packed into a single bag. They needed to find a clinic or pharmacy to replenish those supplies as well. For a moment Johnny was amazed at how quickly he'd adjusted to stealing everything they needed. He knew that at some point after all this ended he'd pay the people back for everything he took. He wouldn't be able to live with himself otherwise. The rest of the food supplies were slipped into the second medical bag. They would be easier to carry that way. The blankets were carefully folded and thrown over Thomas's shoulder. They may need them again tonight if they don't find help.

Walking up to Johnny, Nick accepted the second medical bag. He was feeling a little useless and wanted to contribute somehow. Even if it was only carrying a bag so the paramedic didn't have to lug both of them.

After taking extra care to make sure the fire was out, Johnny turned to the small group. "Are we ready?" he asked.

Jon was upright and leaning heavily against Thomas. Ponch was all ready preparing to take the lead and couldn't be encumbered with his partner's weight. Roy was standing beside Chris. He was leaning slightly on the side with the broken ribs but otherwise seemed able to move by himself. Chris hovered nearby, just in case.

The others were arranging themselves. Spencer had a supporting hand on Helen's arm as she made her way down the gulley. Paul and Nick walked together deep in discussion over some theory. Johnny hadn't been paying enough attention to know what they were talking about and so left it alone. Chris helped Roy down the slope while Thomas helped Jon.

Eventually, amid much heavy breathing and the occasional moan, all of them reached the road. Roy had to lean on Chris's back again. The jolts coming down the slope had been too much. The woman didn't seem to react at all. Gratefully, he let her lead him along. The pain was reducing his world to placing one foot in front of the other again. Damn he wished this was over. He hated being dependant on anyone.

Without a word, Ponch began the trek down the road. It curved slightly ahead so they weren't able to see all the way down it. That was just as well, Chris mused. It gave them something to aim for. Her back had all ready begun to ache from Roy's added weight. Ignoring the burning pain, she led Roy along with Johnny bringing up the rear.


	11. Chapter 11

_I'm sorry this chapter is so short and that the last few chapters haven't had much action. I'll do better in future chapters. Thank you to all that have read and reviewed. It's nice to know that people are reading this and enjoying it._

The trek down the road seemed to last an eternity. Ponch had considered scaling the valley wall but Jon and Roy weren't moving well enough to manage the climb. Instead, he chose to stay on the pavement. Even broken up as it was it was better than climbing. Every once in a while he'd look back to see what kind of progress the others were making. If they'd fallen too far behind him, he'd slow his pace until they caught up. As he moved forward, he couldn't help but have his hand on the butt of his service revolver.

Ponch had seen enough yesterday to make him very cautious of what they were going to find in the urban area. They had food and water. Not everyone did. He supposed he should share it with people as they found them but unconsciously he'd reverted to a pack instinct. If you weren't part of his pack, you didn't matter as much. If he'd been fully conscious of the thoughts floating through his mind, he would have been appalled. That was not what Ponch was usually like. If his partner and Roy hadn't been injured he would still have his old philosophies. Since they were, though, they took precedence until he got them someplace they could be helped or until they healed on their own. The second option was going to take considerable time. Time his unconscious mind wasn't sure they had.

The sun was a quarter of the way into the sky before they took their first rest. Johnny passed one of the canteens around while the group sat and rested. Jon's face was pale and he was unusually quiet. Johnny had the feeling he was trying to stifle moans. Moving over to the tall CHP officer, he examined his injuries.

The leg was showing signs of impending infection. It was swollen and hot to the touch. Cursing under his breath, Johnny rummaged in the medical bag until he found the only antibiotics he had. Pulling out a needle and syringe, he fitted the two together before drawing out some of the antibiotic from a vial.

"What's that for?" Jon asked. His voice was a little hoarse from lack of use.

"It's an antibiotic. Your leg is becoming infected." Johnny used an alcohol swab to clean an area on Jon's upper arm before injecting the fluid into the muscle. "I'll give you more in eight hours time."

"Thanks," Jon said. He knew he'd been feeling hot but he hadn't been sure why. Now it made sense.

Johnny made his way over to Ponch. The Hispanic officer was keeping watch. It was starting to make Johnny nervous. He knew what he'd seen but he still wasn't sure how much danger they were really in. "We're going to have to take breaks more often. Jon's coming down with an infection," he informed the officer. "Are there any hospitals in this area?"

The two paramedics were out of Station 51's zone. Neither of them lived around here. They had a basic understanding of the streets, etc. but they had no idea on specifics. Both men had long since lost any idea of where they had originally been heading.

"I'm not sure." This wasn't Ponch's neighbourhood either. "I didn't see anything that looked medical yesterday."

"Great," Johnny muttered, exasperated. "Okay. We'd better get moving."


	12. Chapter 12

The group's first look at the urban area was gut-wrenching. Three days ago this had been a booming bedroom community of the city of Los Angeles. Now it was a pile of rubble, twisted metal, broken timbers and putrid smells. There had been no electricity since the earthquake so food was going bad in the daytime heat. Johnny knew that didn't account for all of the order but he wasn't willing to consider that some of it might be rotting bodies.

The streets were deserted for as far as Johnny could see. It vaguely reminded him of the post apocalyptic scenes from 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' but this wasn't the result of atomic weapons. A few minutes ago his stomach had been growling with hunger. Suddenly he had no appetite at all.

"Where should we go?" Paul asked. He was hovering near Chris and Roy. The senior paramedic's difficulty was increasing the further they walked. Soon, he might have to take over for the shorter woman. At the moment she appeared to be supporting most of the man's weight. Paul wasn't even sure that Roy was conscious.

Silently, Chris stood by and waited for them to make a decision. Her back ached worse than it ever had and Roy had stopped talking several minutes back. She had to hold onto his arms to keep him from sliding off her back entirely. She could feel sweat rolling down her sides and her back. Her shirt was plastered against her skin. What she wouldn't give for a shower and a change of clothes at the moment.

"It's getting late," Ponch stated. With some apprehension he looked up at the sky. The sun was only about an hour away from dropping below the horizon. "We'd better find someplace to spend the night. Tomorrow we can have a better look around."

"Sounds good," Johnny responded. He didn't have a better idea. The fire department planned for natural disasters but they'd never considered one of this scale. None of their scenarios covered what they were living through.

"Are we staying here?" Helen asked. A city girl all her life, she had no desire to stay in the ruins they were standing in. The shrubs and plants of the valley walls seemed much more inviting given the alternatives available.

"I'm going to look around and see if there's anything suitable," Ponch hedged. He had had trouble sleeping in the wide open spaces of the great outdoors last night. Camping was as close to nature as he ever got. Sleeping under the stars, waiting for the earth to move hadn't been particularly restful for him.

"I'll look too," Thomas volunteered. The other two men offered as well. Paul had appointed himself to watch over the wounded and the ladies. Johnny would be there too but he didn't feel right about leaving them alone.

"Okay. Does everyone have a watch?" Ponch asked. The three men nodded their heads yes. "We'll meet back here in half an hour. Remember, the injured can't move as fast as we can so take that into consideration when looking for shelter."

The men set out in the directions of the four winds. Chris moved over to the side of the broken street they'd been following. Finding a level spot, she gently peeled Roy off of her back and laid him down. The blond man's eyes were closed and he didn't react at all to her ministrations. Scared, she realized the man was unconscious. Before she had a chance to call to Johnny, he was at her side, examining his partner.

In an effort to distract herself, Chris did a visual check on the others. Jon was propped up against a slab of concrete that had erupted from the street. His eyes were closed and sweat ran down the sides of his face. For a moment she thought he might be unconscious too, and then she saw him open his eyes. Paul had crouched down beside him and was handing him one of the canteens.

A short distance away Sam had taken a seat on the ground, his arm cradled in his lap. The man had been virtually silent since Jake had run away. He was trying to make himself as invisible as possible while remaining within the group. He didn't want to face this new world alone.

Concerned for the paramedic, Helen had moved over to their location. Stiffly, she gained her knees at Roy's head. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. Silently Johnny was finishing his partner's exam. Other than being unconscious there didn't appear to be any further injuries to the man. That was a relief but he'd feel better when Roy opened his eyes.

"Not really," Johnny responded. "But thanks for asking." The older woman moved over to sit down beside Chris. She tried to not show how tired she really was but she didn't think she was entirely successful.

Thomas had dumped the blankets beside the two medical kits. Retrieving one, Johnny used it as a pillow for Roy's head. Needing something to do, Johnny hauled all the supplies over to where Roy, Helen and Chris were. It made him nervous to leave them basically out in the middle of the street.

Settling down beside the bags, Johnny prepared to wait. He supposed he could be searching the immediate area for shelter but he suddenly lacked all ambition to do so. Pulling his knees up, the younger paramedic wrapped his arms around them and rested his head on them. In half a second he was sound asleep.

"Should we wake him?" Helen asked Chris quietly. She felt for the man but wasn't sure how safe they were while he slept.

"No. Let him sleep while he can. If we need him he's not very far away. Besides, we have Paul and Sam here to protect us," Chris replied. Despite her best effort, Chris was unable to stifle a laugh that bubbled to the surface. Somehow the thought of the slight man and the one armed man protecting them struck her as funny. Things were getting to her after all.

"All right," Helen said. Looking over at the other men in their group across the road, she had to admit that she agreed with Chris's assessment of the situation. If anyone really wanted to take their supplies or otherwise hurt them, she wasn't sure that either man would be able to protect them. Somehow that didn't make her feel particularly safe.

"Don't worry, Helen. I'm sure Paul will be able to point and shoot a gun if he needs to," Chris tried to reassure her. Chris had seen the older woman's face pale slightly when she looked at the men. The image of them protecting them had struck her as funny, not impossible. Apparently Helen had misunderstood her mirth.

"Let's hope he doesn't need to," Helen said. The younger woman was probably right. With any luck they'll never know.

"Amen to that."


	13. Chapter 13

"How was the search?" Paul asked Ponch as the man plodded back toward them. He looked exhausted but they probably all did.

"I didn't find anything that would work. All the buildings in that direction are flattened." The CHP officer's voice was devoid of emotion. His dark brown eyes were haunted. Paul was thankful that he hadn't gone out searching as well.

"Are you all right?" Paul asked. Ponch appeared to be in shock. That was the last thing they needed.

Ponch seemed to mentally shake himself and looked at Paul with new eyes. He could see the concern on the young man's face. "Yeah, sorry, I didn't see anyone alive," Ponch stated cryptically.

"That doesn't sound good," Paul breathed. Verging on panic, he looked around quickly. The others were listening to their conversation, various degrees of shock was evident on their faces.

"I think this must be along the epicentre of the earthquake. The destruction is so complete! It's beyond anything I could have ever imagined." The CHP officer stared at him, not sure how to feel. He didn't want to become another casualty; they all ready had enough of them. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his nerves.

"That bad?" Paul stared at the man. He was hoping all of this was a bad dream. No such luck.

Johnny woke up upon hearing Ponch's voice. He moved over to them to hear what the officer had to say. His face was white as a sheet. This was bad.

"There wasn't anywhere we could spend the night?" he asked. He glanced over at Jon and then Roy. They needed to be someplace warm and safe.

"No. Maybe the others had better luck," Ponch stated.

Johnny didn't bother to respond to that. Hope was beginning to fade. The sun was nearly at the horizon. They were running out of time. He began to scan the immediate area. There had to be something.

"Where are all the people?" Paul asked. It was unnerving. The entire time they'd been here they hadn't seen a single human being. There'd been the occasional cat, dog and raccoon but nothing on two legs.

"I don't know," Ponch responded. "I didn't see anyone. They could be hiding or they could have moved out. Like I said, there isn't much left."

Any further conversation was suspended by the arrival of Thomas, Nick and Spencer. Spencer plopped down on the ground beside Helen. His face was white and he appeared to be trembling slightly. Instinctively, Helen reached out and wrapped her nearest arm around his thin shoulders. Heaving a deep sigh, Spencer slowly slumped against her, his eyes closed.

"How was it?" Paul asked. He didn't know what else to ask. From the looks on the men's faces the news wasn't good.

"Hell on earth," was all Thomas would say. He accepted the canteen Jon offered him and took a mouthful. Handing it back, he found a clear spot and basically collapsed.

"There's not a lot left," Nick stated. He wiped a piece of his grimy shirt over his face to get rid of the layer of sweat and dirt that had built up. "But I think I found a place for the night."

That got everyone's attention, except for the still insensate Roy.

"How far?" Ponch asked. All ready, he was moving over to Jon to pull his partner up. As quiet as things were at the moment he knew that they wouldn't stay that way.

"Six blocks. It's four brick walls and a roof, not much else." Nick helped Johnny get the supplies gathered up and picked up two of the bags. Helen had gotten Spencer up on his feet; the young man didn't look good. Paul helped Chris get Roy up and in position. A quiet groan was the only reaction they got but at least it was a reaction. Ready, they trudged off in the direction set by Nick. Slim hope was better than none.


	14. Chapter 14

"This is it?" Thomas asked. He couldn't quite see the same potential in the place that Nick had. Rubble was piled up all around the two story building. The street surface was buried beneath three feet of refuse. The windows and doors were gone. Small sections of the first floor were cracked, lose bricks were threatening to fall at the least provocation. All it really was was just as Nick had described it, four walls and a roof. Well, it was better than they currently had.

"Yeah. The only four star hotel in town tonight," Nick replied. Cautiously, he led the group to the back of the building. The structure behind it had been significantly taller. It had crumbled, leaving a vast pile of cement, girders and pieces of furniture and other personally items. The pile covered most of the first floor but it allowed them to reach the fire escape. The metal steps were a little unstable but they held long enough for the survivors to climb up to the second floor.

The trip up the fire escape wasn't for the weak of heart. Chris especially had difficulty negotiating the vibrating and shifting steps while keeping Roy from being jostled. The senior paramedic had come around twenty minutes back, she could tell by how tense his body had suddenly become. Sweat was running down her sides again as she slid around the final corner and came face to face with the window sill. How was she going to get Roy through that?

Johnny had reached the landing before them. He'd had time to consider the alternatives. None of them were particularly appealing.

"How are you doing?" he asked. He wasn't sure if he was addressing Chris or Roy. They both looked about the same.

"Terriffic," Roy croaked. He was staring at the window sill with some trepidation.

"This isn't going to be pleasant," Nick breathed.

Johnny positioned Thomas and Nick on the inside of the window. He and Ponch lifted Roy's feet through the window and then fed the rest of him through. Roy tried his best to not cry out. He was partially successful. Just as his head made it through the sill, Thomas's grip slipped. Pain flashed through his system, taking Roy's breath away. He was barely even aware as they put him back on his feet.

Gratefully, Chris accepted her burden again. Roy was breathing heavily and a thin sheen of sweat had broken out on his skin. Not knowing what else to do, she gently squeezed his right arm as she led him into the hallway. A short distance ahead, Jon was braced against the wall, his face nearly as pale as Roy's. They weren't getting out of this place in a hurry that was for sure.

The second floor was a shambles. The building had been empty before the quake but now chunks of brick, mortar and drywall from the ceiling littered the floor in the hallway. "Did you check this out before you brought us here?" Ponch finally thought to ask.

"The apartment to the right is in the best shape. The others have too much natural ventilation." To prove his point, Nick opened the door on the right hand side. Inside the room was in similar shape to 

the hallway but the window was intact. By some miracle it had survived the earthquake and ensuing aftershocks.

Chris led Roy into the room, closely followed by Spencer and Helen. The floor creaked under her feet. Not a very pleasant sensation. Gritting her teeth, she carefully navigated the debris and helped Roy settle on a clear spot. Wordlessly, Roy settled against the two outer walls. His ribs were screaming in pain. It was all he could do to take full breaths. Damn, he wished this would stop.

The others wandered in and found spots to settle themselves in. Nick found a piece of wood and used it to brace the door shut. The lock was broken; they weren't going to get any security there. Unable to sit down now that he'd had a rest, Johnny made his rounds. He checked on Jon, Sam and Roy. Their wounds were all healing as best as could be expected given the state of their clothes and their bodies. Satisfied, he paused to look at Spencer.

The young man was sitting beside Helen. She had a hand on his nearest knee. Whatever had happened to him had set him back to the way he was when Chris first met him. A string of tears were running down his thin face, leaving clear tracks in the dirt. The older lady was talking quietly to him, trying to bring him back. Chris hoped she would be successful. She'd never had a younger brother but that was kind of how she thought of him. It broke her heart to see him in such distress.

"What are we having for supper?" Nick asked. He was rummaging through the supplies to see what they actually had to eat.

"Whatever it is, it had better taste good cold," Johnny stated. The solid windows were nice, they'd help keep the area warmer and give them some protection but they also would let any light they created shine outside. The fewer people that knew they were here the better. Besides, he didn't want to take a chance of asphyxiating everyone with carbon monoxide from an improperly vented fire or causing what was left of the inside of the building to burn down.

"How about pork and beans?" Nick asked. He'd found three tins of the stuff. Protein was always good. The resulting fragrance wasn't going to be pleasant but then they weren't planning to stay here beyond tonight. That suggestion brought a couple of nods of agreement. Most of them were so hungry that they didn't care what it was so long as it didn't move. Too much.

"Are you hungry?" Johnny asked his partner. Chris was sitting on one side of Roy while Johnny sat on the other. Roy had been lightly dozing but Johnny wanted to make sure he had something to eat before he was out for the night.

"Sure," was as committed as he was able to get. He didn't really feel hungry. Roy supposed that was a bad sign but he'd force himself to eat. He'd need his strength come morning. He wasn't looking forward to getting out of the building again.

"I'll get you something. Any preferences?" He wasn't sure what they had but he'd try to fill Roy's request.

"Whatever's easiest." Roy accepted the canteen that Chris had offered him. A few quick swigs and he handed it back. The pain had subsided to a dull roar. It was at a much more manageable level. For that he was eternally grateful.


	15. Chapter 15

Supper was a quiet affair. The survivors had stuck to items that weren't too bad cold. As soon as the sun went down there wasn't much to do but sleep. The darkness was so deep that it was even hard to keep watch. Beyond the windows all there was was shadows within shadows.

Nick took the first watch. He wasn't feeling particularly tired and felt better knowing someone was watching over the others while they slept. Helen was sleeping along a wall after clearing out enough debris to make it comfortable. Once she was settled Spencer had moved over beside her and curled up on the floor as well. Thomas, Paul and Ponch were sitting against the wall, their heads resting on their knees. Sam was curled up in the corner Roy had originally occupied. Jon and Roy were lying on the floor thanks to the others cleaning a spot for them.

Chris was crouched beside the other window. Her back was aching, making the thought of sleeping on the floor unappetizing. As much as she felt the need to sleep, her head wouldn't turn off long enough for her to actually succumb. So, she thought she'd help Nick as long as she could.

Beyond the dirty pane of glass the world was dark. Unnaturally so. Even being from a small town, she was used to seeing street lights at night or ambient light from other parts of the city. Here there was nothing. When she looked up she could just make out a few stars. Even they were becoming obscured by dark clouds. Distantly, she wondered if the cloud was naturally occurring or a result of the fires they'd seen yesterday. She hoped it was just cloudy out.

"See anything?" Johnny asked from beside her. Chris nearly jumped out of her skin in response. She hadn't heard the slender man coming up and so had been startled. To hide her discomfort, she turned her attention back to the world beyond the glass.

"Darkness and more darkness. How's everyone doing?"

"Resting. I think Jon's getting better. He may be able to walk without too much help tomorrow," he answered. While he talked, he too looked out the window. There was nothing to see.

"How's Roy doing?" She had a soft spot for the man. It was probably a result of the fact that she basically carried him most of the time.

"Not as well. I wish I could find something to make him more comfortable." Unconsciously, Johnny glanced at his sleeping partner. Even in the darkness of the room, he seemed small. That was not a notion he was accustomed to associating with the older man.

"You should be getting as much sleep as you can," Johnny stated, turning his attention to the woman. He knew that she should be exhausted. Roy was not a light man.

"I will," Chris replied. "I'm just not very tired right now."

"Here." Johnny handed her the second blanket. "This might make you more comfortable." He'd seen the woman stretching her back on numerous occasions. He couldn't image that the floor would be very comfortable for her.

"I can't take that, one of the others must need it," she exclaimed.

"I've checked, they're all fine. Go lay down," Johnny growled slightly. He appreciated that he didn't have to worry too much while the woman was looking after his partner. It was one less thing to occupy his mind while they tried to get out of this. The least he could do was offer her some comfort for the night.

Chris considered arguing for a moment. Then exhaustion crashed down on her. Silently, she dragged her body over to the nearest spot she could that was relatively clutter free. Within seconds she was wrapped up and slipping into a deep slumber.

Unable to sleep himself, Johnny took up the woman's post at the window. He could hear the others breathing around him. The sound was comforting. Beyond the glass the world was silent. Not even birds were making a sound. It was unnerving. Suddenly, Johnny felt the need to be outside. He could barely see anything beyond the grime on the glass. Standing up, he unblocked the door and headed for the fire escape.

Despite the aromas blowing in on the breeze, Johnny found the air movement to be refreshing. Cautiously, he leaned against the railing on the fire escape and looked around. There wasn't a whole lot more to see. Darkness and shadow. The rubble around the building created even more shadows. Johnny wondered if this was what Vietnam had looked like when they'd pulled out. He didn't think the country had had too many buildings of this size but he wasn't sure. The total destruction was probably very similar.

Breathing deeply, he continued to scan the immediate area. The clouds scudded across the sky. Johnny was sure he could smell fire on the breeze. An unsettling thought. The moon was nearly full, broadcasting a little light as the clouds brushed across its face. Some of the shadows deepened while others faded away.

Another scan around the alley brought Johnny up short. Out of the corner of his eye he was sure he'd seen movement. Staring until his eyes watered didn't show him anything. Maybe he'd been mistaken but he didn't think so. He stood perfectly still for several minutes, waiting for whatever it was to reveal itself. He'd nearly given up when a four legged shadow disengaged itself from the darkness around it.

Along the alley, several feet below Johnny a large, shaggy coyote paced. Its nose was held high as it scanned the air. The coyote had nearly passed completely under the fire escape when it paused and looked up at the firefighter. Johnny held his breath. There was a feral presence about the creature. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have been frightened by the animal. Here, now, the creature seemed that much larger and much more violent in nature. Johnny was sure it stared at him for a 

smattering of heartbeats then it casually continued on. Apparently he was too much trouble to become its next meal.

Relief flowed through the young paramedic as he watched the coyote reach the end of the alley and turn right. How many other wild animals were taking over the city, he wondered. He was considering going back into the apartment when he picked up more movement. Just below him, along the wall the fire escape ran down, small pieces of debris were being dislodged. His heart in his throat, Johnny watched as a shape slid out of the first floor window. It paused below him, taking in the area around it. Then it headed around the corner of the building toward the street.

From his position above the figure, Johnny wasn't sure of the figure's height or sex but it had definitely been human. Without taking time to think, Johnny scurried down the fire escape and followed the figure's path. He wanted to see what the person was up to.

The area between the shattered buildings was like walking into a dark cave. There was no light whatsoever. Johnny hoped desperately that he wouldn't come up on the figure in the dark. Being as quiet as he could while not turning an ankle in the loose debris, Johnny made his way to the front of the building. Once there he glanced up and down the street. All he saw was devastation. The moonlight gave the crumbled concrete an ethereal glow. While it made seeing easier, it didn't help the paramedic find what he was looking for. Cursing under his breath, Johnny gave up and went back the way he'd come. He didn't want to go any farther without letting anyone know where he'd gone. Somehow that didn't seem like a good idea.

"Where'd you go?" Nick asked as Johnny came back into the apartment. Carefully, he replaced the board against the door knob before answering the man.

"I saw someone out there but I lost him."

"Where did he come out of?" Nick asked, instantly concerned. He thought he'd checked the whole building.

"The first floor. Don't worry, he's gone." Johnny didn't know the figure's sex so it was easier to just assign one. "You might as well get some sleep. I'll wake Thomas to take the next watch in three hours."

"Thanks." He wasn't sure he'd be able to sleep knowing that there was someone around. Deciding to try, he settled in an open spot and stretched out. A minute later he was sound asleep.

The next three hours passed slowly. Johnny found himself exiting the room to stand on the fire escape several times. It was frustrating to try to see anything through the dirty glass. Several times he thought he heard or saw something moving around them. While he could never prove it, he got the feeling that someone or something was watching them.

That feeling remained as he woke Thomas up to take the next watch. Apprehensive, he laid down a short distance away from Roy. It took him several minutes to fall asleep. Even then he kept 

having dreams that he was being watched or stalked. By the time Ponch was shaking his shoulder in the morning, it felt like he hadn't slept at all.

"Man, you look like crap," the CHP officer stated as he looked at the fire fighter.

"Thanks," was all Johnny said as he took a drink of water. The canteen was still three quarters full. They were going to have to start searching very soon before the situation became desperate again. "How's everyone doing?"

"We're just getting something to eat before heading out," Ponch informed him.

"Where are we 'heading out' to?" He couldn't help himself, he had to ask.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ponch muttered under his breath. A quick glance around to make sure the others hadn't heard him, he looked apologetic. The last thing they needed was to seem indecisive. "Any suggestions?"

For the first time, Spencer showed some interest in what was going on around him. "I think I saw a clinic when I was looking around," he stated, his voice barely above a whisper. He was still staying close to Helen; he seemed to gain strength from her presence.

"Do you remember where it was?" Johnny pounced on the idea. He wanted to get hold of more supplies.

"Yeah," was all Spencer would say. He was starting to fold back into himself.

"Can you lead us there?" Johnny pushed.

"Yeah."

"Ten minutes," Johnny instructed the others. "Then we're out of here." The further they got away from this place the easier he'd feel.


	16. Chapter 16

Getting Roy out of the hallway proved to be a lot easier than getting him in. Johnny got Roy to lie down on the board they'd propped against the door and then they fed him through the window sill. While a little hard on the older man's ego, it hurt a lot less. He was able to get down the fire escape without help, which made Johnny very happy. Even Jon climbed down the stairs by himself. His leg appeared to be in much better shape, although he still limped.

Standing at the bottom of the fire escape, Ponch watched as the group tentatively made their way down. The metal structure was creaking and vibrating pretty badly. The CHP officer was afraid the whole thing might come down on top of them before everyone got off. Luckily, his suspicion proved to be unfounded as Thomas climbed off the bottom rung and joined the others.

"Which direction?" Johnny asked Spencer. The young man was hanging back with Helen. He was still looking very shell shocked but appeared to be aware.

"I was checking the south end. The streets wander around a lot, they don't follow straight lines. The clinic is part of a strip mall. I'll show you." Spencer caught hold of Helen's left arm and headed out.

The duo was several feet ahead of the others. Jon may have been mobile but he was still pretty slow. Roy had resorted to leaning on Chris again. If the ground had been even he might have managed but with the shifting debris underfoot he twisted his side too often.

Helen glanced up at the boy by her side. His thin face was unusually pinched and drawn. He was walking with his head down, concentrating on the ground under his feet. He hadn't said much since he'd returned. Something bad had happened to him but he hadn't discussed what it was. Well, there was no time like the present. "How are you Spencer?' she asked as he helped her traverse the piles of rubble.

"Huh?" Spencer responded, clearly not really aware of what she was saying. He looked up long enough to see that she'd spoken. "Oh, I'm fine."

"My foot," Helen responded. "It doesn't take a genius to see that something happened yesterday. Tell me what it was."

Spencer walked for several moments before answering her. "I was looking for a place to spend the night."

"And?" Helen prompted after he hadn't said anything for an entire block.

"I didn't find anything." Spencer was hedging. Helen understood that he didn't want to talk about whatever it was but they didn't have the benefit of a nice soft couch and a therapy session.

"You found something," Helen stated. "Tell me what it was." They were far enough ahead that the others wouldn't hear. She needed Spencer in the here and now, not reliving some trauma from yesterday.

"Ah," Spencer continued to walk, his head down. He wasn't sure how much of what happened he wanted to share with anyone, least of all this woman he barely knew. "I saw a group of men, ten or twelve of them. They were surrounding something and cheering and encouraging each other." He paused, letting the terror of the day wash over him.

"I didn't want to get too close because they looked like gang members, all dressed the same. I circled around the area until I could see what they were doing." Spencer took several breaths before continuing. "The men were raping a young girl. One after the other. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop them. I was too afraid."

The boy was drawing in on himself again. The shame that he hadn't intervened was eating away inside him. Helen could see it plainly on his face.

"You couldn't have helped her, Spencer. You were outnumbered and you were unarmed. If you had tried to stop them they would have hurt you or killed you. You did the best you could." Helen was appalled that this had happened in her city. What was the world coming to? Rather than continuing that line of thought, she turned her attention back to the young man trudging along beside her. Spencer was devastated that he hadn't been able to swoop in and rescue the girl.

"My best wasn't good enough," Spencer spat. He had his arms wrapped around his torso, hugging himself. The images of the girl's suffering kept flashing through his mind. He felt useless, impotent. He hated feeling that way. He could feel Helen's warm hand on his left elbow as she used it to walk.

"Sometimes it isn't. All we can do is try harder next time. Hopefully there won't be one but we can only try," Helen said, trying to console the man. Under her fingers, she could feel Spencer trembling with suppressed rage. She couldn't blame him. Distantly she hoped the girl had survived the ordeal. That was the first step. "Did you see what happened afterward?"

"No. I didn't stay. Two of the men seemed to sense I was there and kept looking in my direction. I left before they were finished." Spencer seemed to become smaller in size with each new confession. His self-loathing was palatable in the air.

"Spencer. You have to forgive yourself. You couldn't do anything but come back to us. We need you here to lead us to the clinic. The others need the supplies that might be there. Please, stop beating yourself up," Helen begged.

Spencer fell silent for several minutes. Slowly, the trembling began to subside. Taking a deep breath, the young man straightened slightly. He wouldn't look at Helen but he didn't appear to be quite so defeated. Helen guessed that was the best they were going to be able to do for now.

Farther back in the formation, Jon was slowly picking his way through the rubble. He didn't want to be carried any more but he found the going harder than he'd anticipated. His injured leg was stiffened with inflammation which made walking that much more treacherous. Close by he could hear 

Nick shadowing him, just in case he needed help. He appreciated the gesture but hoped he wouldn't need it.

Thomas, Ponch and Paul were walking in a flanking manoeuvre around the wounded. Johnny was walking by Roy and Chris in case they needed help. The dwindling supplies had been spread out among the men. Roy was having a hard time of it. The shifting debris underfoot kept him from feeling balanced so his side was twisted more than he'd like. The pain was like a hot poker in his ribs. Unconsciously he'd tighten his grip around Chris whenever the pain got too bad. The woman didn't say anything, she just kept plodding along.

By noon they'd covered five blocks. The terrain hadn't really changed much. The buildings were basically flattened while most of the trees remained standing. The streets they were following wandered along the tops of hills and then into the valleys below. It made travelling a bit more frustrating but they learned very early in the day that cutting cross country wasn't a solution. Nick nearly broke a leg when he fell through some debris covering a basement. After that they decided to stay on the road, at least they were fairly sure what they were walking on.

During the entire trip they hadn't seen a single person. There had been the odd dog or cat that had run away as they approached but that had been it. It was eerie to walk down the streets among what had once been upscale residential houses and not see anyone. Something was definitely wrong in this neighbourhood.

Exhausted, the group settled down under a tree along the road to eat a meagre lunch. The lowest canteen was passed around so that everyone could have a drink. Even with the water they still had the risk of dehydration was increasing every day. None of them were getting enough water, just enough to keep them moving. Johnny was well aware of the danger but it was the best they could currently do.

Accepting a partial tin of green beans, Johnny looked around at the devastation surrounding them as they ate. He still had the feeling they were being watched. He didn't like it. He kept glancing around, hoping to catch some indication that he wasn't crazy. The houses around them were little more than piles of garbage. As he scanned the area, the ground under him trembled.

Startled, the entire group held their breath as the tremble increased. The tree above them swayed drunkenly as the aftershock grew in strength. Just as they thought the tree was going to fall on them, the tremor stopped.

Around them debris shifted, sometimes crashing down into basements or other parts of the destroyed houses. Breathing again, the group quickly decided it was time to move on. With Spencer and Helen in the lead again, they headed out.


	17. Chapter 17

"Are we lost yet?" Thomas asked under his breath. It felt like they'd been walking forever. Spencer seemed to know where they were going but it was hard to be patient when your feet ached. He wished that the wounded could move quicker. Spencer had reached this area in less than an hour; they were taking nearly an entire day. Maybe they were lost after all.

"We're almost there," Spencer announced as they passed a high pile of debris on the left hand side. He hated to admit it but Spencer had gotten lost a time or two. He was grateful that none of the others seemed to have noticed or had been nice enough to not say anything.

After his talk with Helen, Spencer was feeling a little better. He still hated that he hadn't been able to help the girl. But he realized that he wouldn't have helped anyone if he'd stepped out and let them know he was there. If anything, he would have made matters worse. The others would have had to come looking for him if he'd been injured. Also, they didn't need any more injured, they were slow enough all ready.

"How are you doing?" Chris asked over her shoulder. Roy had stayed awake the entire time they'd been walking. That was a major accomplishment after yesterday.

"Okay," was all Roy'd commit to at the moment. He would be grateful when it was time to stop again. He was tired, sore and thirsty. He didn't think he would ever be hungry again but he sure could drink a few gallons of water.

"Spencer says we're almost there. We should be able to rest soon." The further they'd walked, the slower Roy was getting. He wasn't really leaning on her any harder but she could tell he was ready for a break. She was ready for a break; her back had started to ache again.

"That's good," Roy murmured. The sun was still high in the sky, bringing with it the late day heat. He could feel sweat running down his back. When the temperature cooled, he was going to be at risk of getting chilled. Combined with his weakness, he would likely become ill. Just what they didn't need, he was slow enough all ready.

They continued on for nearly half a block before they saw it. The strip mall had been made primarily of brick. It had survived the original earthquake and the aftershocks. The glass front on the grocery store that dominated the left end of the mall was shattered. Even from this distance they could tell that it had been ransacked. Produce, all ready starting to go bad in the spring heat, was strewn about in the glass from the windows. Inside the store was dark. Johnny made a mental note to check it out anyway. There might still be something worthwhile left.

The next two stores were a beauty salon and a curio shop. Both of them had been broken into as well. If the sun wasn't so close to setting they would have taken the time to check them out for anything useful. As it was, Spencer pointed out the heavily secured medical clinic in the closest end of the mall. Some of the windows were smashed but the bars on the inside were still secure. That was 

some relief to the paramedic but it also created a new problem. If the looters hadn't been able to get in, how were they going to?

"I'll go check around back. Maybe we can get in that way," Ponch suggested. He could read what the paramedic had been thinking by the expression on his face.

"Thanks Ponch. We'll see what we can do from here," Johnny stated. He looked around at the group and was immediately struck by how tired and dirty they looked. Anyone that hadn't lived through what they had would have thought they were homeless people. In some senses, he supposed they were.

Wordlessly, Thomas followed the CHP officer around the side of the outside wall of the strip mall. The idea of any of them going anywhere alone was suddenly distasteful. He wasn't even sure why.

Johnny, Paul and Nick moved over to the door. The clinic was locked and dead bolted. The inside of the broken glass door was also barred. Whoever owned this place was determined to keep thieves out. Too bad they were a little too determined. "Any suggestions?" Johnny asked, looking at the two men.

"A blow torch might come in handy," Nick suggested. He was only half kidding. If there was any chance of finding one he would have gone searching.

Paul wasn't so quick to answer. He examined the door, the walls and the windows. He'd hoped he'd find a way in. He'd been wrong. Defeated, he turned to Johnny. "Sorry. Short of shooting the lock open, which someone has all ready tried, I have no ideas."

Then something seemed to occur to the man. "I'll be right back." With that he disappeared around the corner of the building.

Deciding they were going to be here a while, Chris helped Roy get comfortable on a pile of debris and looked around again. "We're going to go do some checking," she said, catching hold of Spencer's arm on the way by. If there were any supplies left in any of the buildings they needed to find them.

Johnny didn't get a chance to argue as the two set off. They started in the closest building. The place had been ransacked but they were still able to salvage a few cans of food and bags of chips. They also found a few bottles of pop. Also in the store they found some more back packs. In a back room Spencer found a small first aid kit. It went into his back pack along with everything else.

Satisfied that they had everything, they moved onto the beauty salon. Walking over to one of the sinks, Chris turned on the water, hoping. Holding her breath, she turned the hot water knob. Brown water sputtered out of the spigot. Just as it was beginning to clear it stopped, only air came out. Frustrated, Chris tried all of them with the same result. There wasn't anything of use in this shop, unless Chris was into styling her hair. She paused long enough to glance at the products. One of them was a dry shampoo. Desperate to feel human again, she put some of the bottles in her back pack.

The two worked silently, barely even bothering to speak to each other. Chris would have done this alone except she'd seen the way the younger man had looked when he'd returned. She wasn't taking any chances.

The grocery store was in rough shape. Before going inside the dark interior, Chris paused to make sure the others were still by the pharmacy. The last thing she wanted was to lose them. Stumbling through the wreckage, they searched as systematically as they could. Chris knew that a part of her was shutting down. It had started when she'd careened down the embankment. With each tremor it got a little worse. Now, looking around what had once been a clean, bright, organized grocery store, a part of her psyche shut down entirely. It made dealing with everything a lot easier, she just hoped she'd get it back when all of this was over.

"How are you doing?" she asked Spencer. The boy had a stunned look about him. She didn't want him to slip into shock.

"They raped her," he whispered. The young genius's brown eyes focused finally and he looked at her. "Oh, ah, I'm fine. Let's get this done."

XXXXX

"Find anything worthwhile?" Thomas asked. He and Ponch had returned from the back of the store. Paul had not. Concern immediately erupted in Chris's mind.

"A few things. They didn't leave a lot. Where's Paul?" Her brother's name was Paul; it freaked her out that someone with his name might be dead.

"We were just going to check on that. Ponch and Thomas didn't see him when they came around the building," Johnny said. Before he had a chance to continue the clinic door opened. Stunned, he turned to find Paul grinning at him.

"How did you do that?" Ponch asked.

"Ventilation system," was all Paul said. Quickly, he motioned the others inside. The fewer people knew they were here the better.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to the bars and dead bolts the clinic was in pristine shape. Breathing sighs of relief, the group spread out. The brick walls had kept the structure in one piece. Except for the occasional piece of the ceiling that had come loose it had survived everything Mother Nature had thrown at it. Gently, Johnny led the injured toward one of the exam rooms. He should find everything he needed in there.

"You first, Jon," Johnny said. As much as he wanted to check Roy, he knew Jon was at a greater risk of infection.

Without a word, Jon climbed stiffly on the examination table. Johnny had to leave the door open so he could get light from the windows to see what he was doing. Jon's flashlight was only so much help. As quickly and gently as he could, he used antiseptic to clean the scrape marks on Jon's left side. Sucking breath through his teeth, Jon tried to hold still while Johnny applied the stinging liquid. "Sorry about that," Johnny muttered.

Once he had the cuts and scrapes clean, Johnny turned his attention to the broken arm. The cardboard splint had held together pretty good but now that he had actual casting materials, he was going to use them. He sacrificed a bottle of saline solution to make the plaster and to wash down Jon's arm before he started. The last thing the CHP officer needed was to have a dirty arm under the plaster. "This might hurt a little," he warned as he began wrapping the broken arm.

In the waiting room, the others were milling around, a little unsure what to do. Chris had gone into the bathroom to check the taps. She got the same result as the beauty salon and other stores. It was hard to search the back room and other areas because of the lack of light. She wished they'd found a flashlight or two, then she remembered that both of the CHP officers carried one on their belts.

"Ponch, may I borrow your flashlight for a few minutes?" she asked when she located the man. He was hovering by the doorway into the exam room, keeping an eye on his partner.

"Sure, just try to conserve the batteries," he said, handing the large flashlight to her. Nodding her thanks, she started searching. A few moments later, she was joined by Paul. It didn't take the two of them very long to pack what they'd found into the back packs. Unsure of what they'd need, they pretty much took everything.

"Here," Helen said as she handed Spencer her canteen. The young man was looking better but she wanted to make sure he stayed that way.

"Thanks," he said as he took a sip. Chris and Paul came into the room and dumped a pile of blankets on the ground. On top of it they placed bottles of saline and dextrose solution. It wasn't quite water but it was better than nothing.

"There's more stuff in the storage room in the back but we're only going to be able to take so much of it," Paul stated. Chris had carried her back pack over to the exam room and presented it to Johnny. Inside were all the medicines she could find.

"Thank you," Johnny said. Without hesitation, he pulled out a bottle of penicillin and used a syringe and needle to draw up a dose. Expertly, he injected the contents of the syringe into the muscle of Jon's left bicep. "That'll help with infection."

He helped Jon off of the table and out to a spot in the waiting room before indicating that Sam was next. He all ready had the plaster ready; he might as well splint the man's arm as well. Suspiciously, Sam climbed onto the table and watched as Johnny ministered to his arm. He was still waiting for the group to kick him out because of what Jake had done. So far they were showing no indications of doing so. Weird.

Exhausted, Roy sat on one of the chairs and waited while his partner worked on the other man. There wasn't much Johnny could really do for him except give him antibiotics to prevent infection and hopefully some form of pain killer. His side was better but it was still slowing him down.

Ponch checked on his partner and set him up with a few of the blankets on a clear spot on the floor. Suddenly restless, he began pacing around the clinic, making sure he knew where all the exits were and that the ventilation shaft Paul had used was blocked to prevent anyone else from getting in that way. As he passed the front door, he noticed that Nick was standing to one side, watching outside with intensity.

"Anything going on?" he asked as he scanned the area outside the door.

"No. I just feel better knowing that someone is watching," Nick replied, grinning self-consciously. He wasn't paranoid by nature. He was disconcerted by a feeling that they had been watched as they'd come into the clinic.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Ponch agreed. The back door was made of metal and had a bar across it; they didn't have too much to worry about there. The back wall didn't have any windows either, making the back more secure than the front but none of them were able to leave the light for as long as it was there. Still, he paced to the back door and made sure it was secure before he went back to join the others. Better safe than sorry.

Helen and Paul were trying to get a meal together. There was no chance of a fire so they were reduced to a cold supper, again. The sun was close to going down. Ponch wasn't sure what to expect when night fell but he had the feeling it wasn't going to be good.

"That should do you until we can get you to a hospital," Johnny said as he led Sam into the waiting room. The blond man was sporting a new cast on his right arm. Chagrined, he sank down on the nearest chair and tried to disappear. Johnny turned back to the exam room to check on Roy. The man was dozing lightly in the chair he was sitting in, waiting for his turn.

"What are we having for supper?" Thomas asked. He'd been in the back room, securing the ventilation duct. Tired and dirty, all he really wanted was a hot shower but food of any type would do.

"Well, we have cold ham, brown beans, peas and peaches," Helen responded. It wasn't the best but it was the only stuff they had that could be eaten cold. Irish stew cold would be gross and only used that way as a last resort.

"Sounds delicious," Thomas replied, almost managing to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Beats starving," Nick stated. He was still by the door. Shadows were growing in the world outside. So far not much was going on. He could swear he saw a figure in a back alley across from the strip mall but it was gone so fast that he couldn't be sure.

"That's for darn sure," Helen agreed. Using tongue depressors as spoons, she handed the opened cans around. One of each tin was reserved for Johnny and Roy. They were still in the exam room.

Chris had sat with her back against the front wall of the clinic. The windows were over her head by a good two to three feet. While she munched half-heartedly on her food, she watched as Johnny taped Roy's ribs with white tape. It would probably help him move but removing it later was going to prove painful.

"Do you remember what you said back in the supermarket?" Chris asked Spencer who had wound up beside her.

Spencer remembered perfectly well what he'd said. She could tell by the way his face first drained of all colour and then slowly turned red. He wouldn't look at her as he concentrated on his food. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay," she responded, not wanting to push the man. "But I'll listen any time you need to talk."

"Thanks," Spencer mumbled, not sure what else to say. His peas were suddenly the most fascinating things on the planet. The awkward moment was broken by Johnny helping Roy into the waiting area. He settled his partner into a chair and then retrieved their supper. Silent followed as the group were lost in their own inner worlds.


	19. Chapter 19

Darkness had fallen. The tension in the room was palatable. Chris wasn't entirely sure where the fear was coming from. They hadn't really had any problems yet, except for Sam and Jake and that had happened during the day. Seeing the others so nervous was making her nervous. To distract herself, she picked up a magazine off of one of the coffee tables in the room. A quick glance at it and she put it back. It was too dark to read anything, even Reader's Digest.

By the door, Nick was continuing his vigil. Now that night had arrived he could see figures moving around outside. Some of the figures moved furtively, fearfully. These figures were obviously scrounging around for food, water, etc. These figures were trying to be as quick and as invisible as they could while they checked out the supermarket or moved down the streets. Those figures didn't disturb him much.

As time passed, new figures began to emerge. The figures moved with a fearlessness and self-confidence that separated them from the scavengers. Nick was deciding whether to mention the new group to the others when he saw the figures catch one of the scavengers. What ensued made his blood turn to ice.

Gulping back bile, he turned from the scene unfolding in the parking lot and looked at Ponch. The officer was sitting a few feet away and noticed immediately the look on Nick's face, even in the dark. Silently, he climbed to his feet and walked to Nick's side. "What's going on?" he asked in a hushed voice. Some of the group had fallen asleep. He didn't want to wake them if he could help it.

Not able to find the words, Nick stepped aside so Ponch could see outside. The officer watched for a few minutes, then stepped away from the door. He didn't want the people outside to know they were there. In his career as a police officer, Ponch had seen many grisly sights. He couldn't count the number of fatal crashes where he and Jon were the first ones on the scene. All of that paled in comparison to the wanton violence that had just been demonstrated in the parking lot, a few feet away. Appalled, he turned away so the others couldn't see how badly he was shaken up.

Whooping, shouting and other forms of celebration were loud in the air. The mob was dragging everything that would burn out of the stores and piling it in the middle of the parking lot. They didn't even bother to clear the smashed cars and other debris out of the way before one of them threw a fire bomb into the midst of the garbage. Flames burst over the entire pile, burning brightly and with great ferocity. The mob began congregating around the fire. The tallest and biggest one dragged what was left of the scavenger over to where he settled himself. Idly, he petted the scavenger's head, much like you would a dog.

"Do we tell the others?" Nick asked. He still wasn't sure if the victim had been male or female. Whatever the person had been, they were very slight in build and had long hair. He felt great sympathy for the person. If he/she wasn't dead, they probably wished they were.

"Only if we have to. They can't get in here. We'll wait until morning and get away from here, taking as many people as we can find with us," Ponch responded. He didn't want to scare the others any more than necessary. He would tell them if the situation arose, for now he wanted to keep the horror from spreading. This was the worst case scenario that he could imagine.

"I'll keep first watch," Nick said. After what he'd just witnessed, he didn't think he could sleep anyway. "We might want to keep watch on the back door as well, just in case."

"That's what I was thinking. I'll go talk to Jon and the others about watch rotation." Ponch was very grateful at the moment that his partner seemed to be feeling more like himself. He didn't want to have to deal with this alone.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Roy and Sam who were sleeping, Ponch made the rounds. Helen and Chris were watching in interest but he didn't discuss the situation with them. They were women, after all and needed to be protected. Frustrated, Chris turned to Johnny. The paramedic was clearly disturbed by what Ponch had discussed with him. "So, what's up?" she asked. Ponch had gone to the back room. She assumed he was watching the door.

"What?" Johnny appeared surprised by the question. "Oh, ah, just discussing watch details."

"I can keep watch," she volunteered. It burned her that they were pulling this macho bullshit now. By now she'd hoped she'd proved that she was as capable as them.

"We have enough," Johnny stated. Ponch had told him everything. The thought of the same thing happening to either woman made him sick.

"Are you sure?" Chris didn't believe him. Something was up but clearly he wasn't going to tell her what it was.

"No. I'll let you know when you need to start worrying," Johnny said. He couldn't lie to the woman.

"That sounds encouraging," Chris muttered under her breath. Scared, she set herself up between Roy and Helen. Wrapped up in a blanket, she tried to ignore the sounds outside and the tension inside and fall asleep. It was harder than she expected. Whenever someone moved or the noise outside got louder she'd wake up, no matter how deeply she was sleeping. She was aware every time the men changed guard duty. It surprised her that they let Jon take a shift but not her. Chauvinism was a terrible thing.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the noise outside subsided. Chris was just beginning to relax a little when she glanced up at the window across from her. Jake was on the other side of the glass, his hand up shielding his eyes as he tried to see inside the clinic. The dying embers of the fire glinted off the metal cuffs that were still attached to his wrists. "Paul," she breathed, afraid to move and draw Jake's attention. So far he hadn't seen anything. The windows were dirty and the inside dark. With any luck that trend would continue.

"What?" Paul asked. It was his turn to watch the front door. He'd been concentrating on a group of people that were still gathered around the fire. He hadn't seen Jake.

"Be quiet! Jake's outside the window, trying to see in," Chris whispered. She held completely still. Desperately, she hoped the others sleeping around her didn't wake up. The last thing they needed was for the people outside to realize they were there.

Hugging the wall that held the windows, Paul carefully paced over to where Chris was lying down. Holding his breath, he popped his head up to look out the glass pane. He almost came face to face with Jake. The man's temperament hadn't improved in the time since he'd escaped. If anything, he had more of a violent aura about him. He fit right in with the group outside. Jake was turned away from the window, talking to someone behind him. The words were indistinct but Paul was sure he heard him say that there didn't seem to be anyone inside.

"I thought we were rid of him," Paul said. As he watched, Jake scrambled away from the window to join a smaller group of people. They talked for a few moments and then disappeared around the corner of the strip mall. "Keep an eye on the door, I'll be right back."

Paul tip-toped through the bodies sleeping on the floor and went down the hallway that led to the back room. Chris moved over to the door and looked outside. The fire had burned down to embers casting little light. Groups of people were still milling around. It made her feel very isolated, watching them from a distance, trying to not be noticed. Beside the fire she could make out a lump. Something told her it was a person. She tried to keep an eye on everything but her attention kept returning to the lump. Was the person still alive? It was hard to tell from the clinic, especially in the dark.

"You shouldn't have left her alone," she heard Ponch growl in a low voice. Anger flared. If she hadn't been made responsible for the front door she would have stormed back there and gave the men a piece of her mind. Instead, she continued to look outside.

"She's perfectly capable," Paul stated. "I just wanted you to know that Jake's back and he went around the building."

Boom. Something solid hit the back door making the sound reverberate throughout the clinic walls. Everyone inside was instantly awake. Boom.

"They're trying to get in," Paul said.


	20. Chapter 20

_Hi. I'm sorry if I offended anyone by describing Ponch as Hispanic. I was simply looking for another adjective to describe the man. I was getting tired of dark, shorter, younger, etc. Anyway, as far as I know, Poncherello is of Hispanic descent. Maybe he's half Italian and half Hispanic. I'm not sure. Thank you very much to everyone that leaves me a review. I start to wonder if anyone is still reading. _

_Susanne_

"What do we do?" Helen asked. She was standing between Roy and Spencer, unsure which one needed her more. It was easier to worry about being needed than to worry about being killed or worse.

"There's a storage room just before the back room. It only has one entrance. If things get dicey we can retreat there if we have to," Ponch said. "Until then, we just need to keep quiet and hope they go away."

It wasn't the most proactive solution but it was the best one so far. Silently, Ponch, Thomas and Paul went to the backroom so they could keep an eye on the vandals' progress or lack thereof. Chris stayed at the front door, on the chance that they may try to get in from that direction too.

"Maybe we should move the injured into the storage room, just in case," Nick suggested. He desperately hoped they wouldn't have to resort to the fall back position but it was better to be prepared.

"No," Johnny replied. "I don't want them in there unless we absolutely have to."

"We're fine, "Roy growled. He hated feeling helpless. He'd gotten to his feet and was moving over to stand by Chris. She was standing on the far side of the door, making sure no one from the outside could see her while she scanned the outside. Roy took up a similar position on the near side of the door. "Anything moving?"

"Not so far. It's kind of hard to tell for sure." Chris was glad the older paramedic was there. It was kind of scary to stand so close to a pane of glass with the booming continuing from the back room.

Johnny went into the back room. The three men were shinning lights at the door, looking for signs of stress on the metal surface. So far they were okay. Even as Johnny watched the door jumped slightly in its frame as another boom reverberated through the room. Unconsciously he took a step backward. "Damn," he swore under his breath. This would get unnerving in an awful hurry.

The door shook again. Ponch had his service revolver out and pointed at the ground. Somehow Paul had wound up with Jon's; he was also pointing it on the ground, ready just in case.

Johnny suddenly felt the need to leave the room. He didn't want to be in the way if they ended up having to shoot at people. He wasn't worried about Ponch's aim but Paul's was in question. A thought occurred to him. He headed back to the waiting area.

"Nick, you work for the police department, right?" he asked. The other man was watching out the window.

"Yeah," Nick answered without looking away. He was sure he could make out movement among the shadows but he couldn't tell how many or what they were doing.

"Does that mean you've had firearm training?" He would have put the gun back in Jon's hand but there wasn't much room to move and he wasn't very mobile at the moment. The officer's leg was still pretty stiff and sore.

"Yeah," Nick answered. He turned from the window to look the paramedic in the face. He had a feeling he knew what was coming but he wanted to make sure.

"They have the guns out in the back room, just in case. I trust Ponch but I'm not so sure about Paul. I have no idea what his qualifications are."

"Someone's moving around out there. Keep an eye on them for me, will you?" Nick paused long enough to get a nod from Johnny then he went off to the back room. A few moments later Paul came in, looking somewhat relieved.

"Thanks," the slight man said. "I was afraid I'd shoot my foot off."

"My sentiments exactly." Johnny couldn't help but smile. He assumed Nick's position. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't see the people moving around. Maybe he'd have to go get his eyes checked when all of this was over.

Johnny took a moment to glance at the other survivors. Jon and Roy were sitting up, ready to move when they needed to. Helen and Spencer had retreated closer to the storage room door, just in case. The look of utter terror on the younger man's face was visible even in the limited light of the room. Johnny had the feeling that this wasn't the first time Spencer had seen this group. He supposed it didn't really matter; they needed the supplies too much to have abandoned the clinic as their destination. He just wished the man had mentioned it beforehand; maybe they would have been better prepared. But then, maybe not.

More scared than he was willing to admit, Johnny looked back outside the window. Just as he did, the glass a foot to the right of his face shattered. A rock barely missed his head as glass shards bit into his face and head. Startled, Johnny fell backward, his hands automatically going to his head to seek out the damage.

Outside, he could hear voices. It sounded like they were a few feet away. Another rock smashed through the window. The bars were unaffected by the onslaught but the glass scattered, covering the waiting room explosively.

"Are you all right?" Chris asked in a hushed voice. Johnny pulled his hands from his head and looked at them. They were slick with bright red blood. He felt his knees become weak from shock.

"I'm bleeding," Johnny stated. Then he was being hustled to the storage room. Chris and Roy were on either side of him to make sure he didn't collapse on them. Once they were inside, the door was shut so they could use flashlights and not be seen outside. Chris forced Johnny into a chair while she wiped at the blood flowing down the side of his face. He could feel Roy checking his head.

"How bad is it?" he asked. The pain had yet to register. He knew that when it did he was going to be sore.

"Head wounds always bleed a lot," Roy stated, trying to minimize the damage. His own wounds forgotten, Roy motioned the woman a short distance away. Outside he could hear Paul, Spencer, Jon and Helen speaking quietly. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying but that was the least of his concerns right now.

"Is there any suture and needles around?" he asked the woman. He hadn't participated in any of the searching, so he had no idea.

"I think so. Give me a minute, I'll check out the exam room."

Slipping out the door, she made her way through the broken glass to the exam room. She shut the door behind her so she could use the flashlight again. Trying to not panic, she'd never seen that much blood before, at least not human blood, she rummaged through the cupboards and drawers. During caesarean sections on cows the blood was so thick that veterinarians had to wear rubber boots but it being from a human made it harder to take. Her hands shaking, she found several packages of suture with needles attached. Relieved, she paused long enough to grab a needle driver before returning to the storage room.

"Is he all right?" Helen asked. The men were all along the windows and doors, keeping a careful eye out. So far no one had rushed the clinic now that the windows were broken. The metal bars could have had something to do with that or maybe they didn't realize yet that there were people inside.

"He's cut up but we should be able to fix him up," she replied on her way by. Boom. They were still after the back door. Damn, she wished they'd stop that.

"I've found sutures but I'm not sure which ones you'd like to use," she said. Johnny was still in the chair, holding a bandage to his forehead while Roy dug some of the glass out of his hair. The younger paramedic was starting to look a little pale. Quickly, Chris showed the types of sutures she'd found to Roy so he could make the decision. She was hoping he was planning to do the suturing; she hadn't done it in so long she didn't think she'd be able to.

"The cuts aren't very deep, I think we can get away with nylon," Roy replied. He pulled two of the packages out of the pile and opened the first one. "Can you clean the wounds in his hairline while I get this ready?"

"Sure," Chris stated. Desperately, she looked around until she found the case of antiseptic wash on one of the shelves. Then she found boxes of sterile gauze. Calming somewhat, she turned to Johnny. "This might hurt."

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Johnny replied. He visibly steeled himself before she wiped at the closest wound. Despite his best efforts, he sucked breath between clenched teeth as the cut burned.

"Sorry," Chris breathed as she moved onto the next one. Roy didn't even give Johnny time to recover before he started the first stitch. This wasn't something he was used to doing but he'd seen Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early do if often enough that he figured he'd manage. The cut on Johnny's forehead made him a little nervous though. If he messed up on the stitching there it would show for the rest of the younger man's life. Not something he wanted to be responsible for.

"Are they still out there?" Johnny asked in an effort to distract himself from the pain. Boom. The attack on the back door was slowing down but they were still at it.

"Sounds like it," Roy said. He was onto the second cut all ready. They were small but he didn't want to take a chance on not stitching them. Johnny seemed to be oblivious to the needle and nylon suture moving through his skin.

"How about up front?"

"It seemed pretty quiet when I passed through a few minutes ago," Chris stated. With a pair of tweezers, she pulled a splinter of glass out of the wound she was cleaning. Johnny twitched slightly but didn't otherwise react. "I'm not sure they even know we're in here. I think they were just smashing the windows because they could."

"I hope you're right," Roy said. His hand was starting to shake a bit. The ribs had reawakened. The pain was making it hard to concentrate. Not for the first time Roy wished the clinic had carried something stronger than aspirin.

"Yeah, so do I," Chris said. The last scalp laceration was clean so she moved around to the right side of his face to look at the wound there. Typical of all scalp wounds, the blood had made it look worse than it was. She was thankful for that as she wiped the drying blood away so she could have a better look. Boom. Her hand jumped as she pressed on the wound eliciting a small groan from Johnny. "Sorry. I wish they'd stop doing that."

"Me too."

"Hey," Spencer called softly from the doorway. "There's something going on out here."

"Could you be a little more specific?" Chris asked. She was trying to get Johnny's blood off of her hands now that she was vanished cleaning his wounds. It was really creeping her out.

"I think there might be helicopters circling the area," Spencer elaborated. "The crowd is dispersing."

"You're kidding, right?" Johnny asked. He was hoping the younger man wasn't making this up. If it was true, it could mean that they were finally going to get back to reality.

"No, I don't think so," Spencer said. Johnny made as if to stand up but he was stopped by Roy's hand on his shoulder.

"I'm almost done. Just give me a few more minutes," he instructed. Rescued or not, he wanted to make sure the wounds wouldn't rip open and start bleeding again.

Ponch, Thomas and Nick came out of the back room to look out the front windows with the others. They were all still very careful to make sure that someone looking in wouldn't see them. No use taking unnecessary chances. "What are you talking about?" Ponch wanted to know.

"Watch." Spencer moved up by the window and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later a bright light scanned the area of the strip mall parking lot. A few moments later they could hear the whop, whop of the helicopter's blades. The mob had thinned out but not all of them were running. Some of the scavengers were also coming out of hiding. The people in the parking lot were waving at the helicopters, trying to get the pilot's attention.

"Should we go out there?" Spencer asked. He desperately wanted to be rescued but he didn't want to go outside where they were unprotected.

"Let's wait and see what happens before we make that decision," Ponch stated. He was grateful that the banging on the back door seemed to have stopped. At least they had that much peace.

"What if they only send the one helicopter?" Spencer knew he was sounding young and scared. He wasn't sure he cared at the moment.

"Then we're better off staying in here," Jon answered. Every fibre of his being was telling him to run toward the light, the first sign of civilization they'd seen but he was too cautious for that.

"I have to agree with Jon. As much as I want them to know we're here, we'd better wait until we make sure what their intentions are before we rush out and let everyone know we're here." It was a long, convoluted statement that Ponch produced but they all got the gist of it.

"Then I guess we wait," Paul said.


	21. Chapter 21

_Sorry for the short chapter. Work's been getting in the way. I hope to get a few chapters done this weekend. Thanks to all those who have taken the time to review. I love hearing what you have to say._

_Susanne_

The entire group stood by the windows or door, watching to see what the helicopter with the search light was intending to do. Deep in each of their hearts, they were hoping desperately that their rescue had finally come.

The search light panned over the fire, the ransacked shops and the clinic. It paused for several moments on the clinic before the helicopter passed over them. The group was forced to cover their ears with their hands to protect them from the loud noise of the machine's rotors. Chris thought her head was going to explode with the pounding of the blades. She was beginning to wonder what the pilot was doing when the clinic shook slightly.

"They've landed on the roof," Jon stated. Suddenly blocking off the ventilation system didn't seem like such a wise move.

"Paul, you fit through the shafts better than the rest of us, go up there and see what's going on," Ponch stated. He and the younger man were heading toward the backroom as he spoke.

Thomas and Nick pried the board off of the main ventilation shaft and then helped to boost the smaller man inside. Effortlessly, Paul shimmied his way through the shafts. They were pretty narrow but he wasn't a very large man and had done this once all ready. In a matter of minutes he was at the top of the shaft. He paused for a moment before trying to push the metal plate up. For all he knew the helicopter was parked on top of the plate.

Cautiously, he pressed against the thick metal plate. He was greatly relieved when the plate began to move upward. He was immediately startled when the plate was pulled out of his hands and lifted off. Paul's first instinct was to let go of the sides of the shaft and slide down it but before he had a chance to relax his fingers, strong, gloved hands caught hold of him and pulled him out of the shaft.

"Are you alone?" a tall, menacing man in a uniform barked.

Paul stalled long enough to glance around at the four other men standing beside him and the helicopter with its still spinning rotors. "Why?" It wasn't brilliant or witty but it was the only thing he could come up with.

"We're with the National Guard. We've been told to evacuate this area. You can try to stay here but it's our duty to make you leave," the guard stated. With the helmet and the rest of the gear it was hard to make out the man's features but he was taller than Paul and heavier. Paul wasn't going to have much of a chance to break away from these people. Besides, they had guns and knew how to use them.

"There are eleven of us. We're hold up in the clinic below to work on our wounded and to keep ourselves safe," Paul finally admitted. Unconsciously, he glanced toward the parking lot, half expecting a mob of people to come swarming over top of the building.

"How many are injured?" the tallest of the five asked. He had a deep voice and a presence that made Paul not want to cross the man.

"Three, no four. Johnny just got cut from broken glass."

"What kind of injuries are we looking at?"

"Roy isn't moving very well. I think he has broken ribs. Jon has a broken arm and a wrenched knee. Sam has a broken arm as well. Johnny was being stitched up when we started watching the helicopter." Paul watched as the other men took up position to scan the areas around the clinic. Their rifles made them very intimidating indeed.

"Are they mobile?" the leader asked. Paul was searching for some sign of insignia but all the men's uniforms had the same markings. They didn't even have names on them.

"Sam's fine. Roy and Jon are moving pretty slowly. Johnny should be fine. We also have two women with us. Helen is older and Chris is a little over weight but she moves pretty good. How are you going to get them up here?" Paul had to ask. He couldn't see some of the others climbing up the air shaft. He also couldn't see any of these men climbing down it; they were all too bulky to fit.

"Is this the only way up here?" The man was looking around the rooftop, trying to come up with options.

"Now that we're inside we could use the front or back door but then we'd still have to get them all up here. Not all of them can climb."

"We can use repelling gear or we have a rope ladder in the chopper" one of the men suggested. He was positioned on the front wall and had yet to find a way down.

"Only as a last resort," the leader stated. Quickly, he paced the roof, taking in every inch of the walls as he went.

"I need to go down and let the others know what's going on. They're going to start worrying soon. What should I tell them?" Paul asked.

"I could go down with him," the smallest of the group offered. Paul looked at him sceptically.

"You'd have to drop most of your gear, Mac. We'll find another way down."


	22. Chapter 22

_Another short chapter. Sorry. I'll get better. _

_Susanne_

Boom.

"Damn it, I thought we were finished with this," Ponch growled. Boom. The sound echoed through the clinic from the back door.

"Where's Paul?" Chris wanted to know. It seemed like he'd been gone for a long time.

"We'd better go keep an eye on the door," Ponch said. He and Thomas headed toward the continued pounding.

The others remained at the windows and door, trying to see what was going on outside. Over top of the wreckage to the east the sun was beginning to come up. The groups of people beyond the glass were continuing to watch the roof of the clinic.

"Hey, guys, you might want to come back here," Ponch called out quietly from the back room.

Startled and scared, the ones left at the front of the clinic looked at each other, unasked questions flashed on their faces before they headed for the back room. Johnny and Nick paused long enough to pick up the bags. They didn't want to leave the supplies they did have behind, just in case.

Chris helped Roy but the paramedic was only leaning on her arm for support. The tape was keeping his ribs secure enough that he could manage that much on his own. Chris was happy to see the man feeling better but she kind of missed having him depend on her.

"What's going on?" Johnny asked as he reached the back room. It was then that he saw Ponch and Thomas unlocking the door and cautiously swinging it open. "What're you doing?!"

"Paul's on the other side," Ponch explained. As if on cue, the slight man popped his head through the gap in the door.

"Hi. Did someone order the cavalry?" the younger man asked with a mischievous grin on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Jon asked.

The door swung further open to reveal three of the men that had come in the helicopter. "They've come to evacuate this area."

"What about the people outside?" Chris asked. While watching the door she'd seen smaller shapes among the scavengers. Clearly there were children outside. She was desperately hoping that someone was watching over them. "They need help too."

"More helicopters are coming in to help with the evacuation. There are also armoured vehicles making their way through the streets," the tallest man in uniform stated. "We have a rope ladder set up on the side of this building. Are all of you going to be able to climb it?"

"We'll help the ones with the broken arms," Johnny replied. He wasn't leaving anyone behind, least of all his partner. "Why are you in such a hurry to evacuate this area now?"

"There's a brush fire making its way in this direction. If we don't evacuate the area ASAP we run the risk of thousands of people burning to death," the one watching the door answered. There was an angry mob building outside. They were going to have to get out of here before they were overrun. The other helicopters were right behind them but the number of clear areas they could land was limited. The resulting panic from the first helicopter leaving may be catastrophic.

"Is the helicopter big enough to hold all of us?" Jon asked. He'd seen service in Vietnam. He knew that there were some pretty big machines available but none of them would have fit safely on the roof of the clinic.

"We'll have to make a few trips." The tall man had noticed the tension in his subordinate. He knew that time was limited.

"Let's get started," Helen prompted. The sooner these men evacuated them the sooner they could move on to the other people stranded in the area. Surely not all of them were like Jake, she hoped.


	23. Chapter 23

It was nerve-wracking for the survivors to walk out the back door in the daylight after spending so much time hiding and being quiet. It felt unnatural.

The military men started with the oldest and wounded. The sooner they got them onto the roof, the sooner they could get all of them out of here. Two of the men set up a perimeter while the other two helped the civilians up the rope. Sam climbed the rope like he was born to it. Having only one arm didn't slow him down at all. Chris had a sneaky suspicion that it might have to do with the fact that Jake was around. The blond man was truly terrified of his former partner.

Jon and Roy were a different case entirely. The leader of the military tried to help Roy climb but with his ribs he couldn't take the twisting. After the second step, the paramedic nearly blacked out from the pain that ripped through his system. Johnny and the leader managed to catch him before he fell to the ground. "Whoa, are you okay?" Johnny asked his partner, suddenly very concerned.

"Yeah, yeah," Roy tried to brush off the weakness he was feeling. He tried to pull away from the two men only to have the movement aggravate his injury. Before he had a chance to react Roy began to crumple to the ground again.

"We're going to have to rig a rope to get him up," the National Guard leader stated. He stood several inches taller than the paramedic. Casually, he pulled the smaller man back to his feet. He paused long enough to glance at Jon. The CHP officer was upright but wasn't putting any weight on his injured leg. "And probably for him too."

"Hey, Roy. Are you okay?" Johnny asked again. His partner had gone white in the face and was beginning to sweat heavily. Both of these were clear signs that the other man was going into shock.

"Yeah," Roy responded automatically. A bit testy, he pulled away from the National Guardsman. He hated being dependant on anyone, especially someone he'd just met.

"How bad is it?" Johnny persisted. He wasn't going to let his partner act like nothing was wrong. The last thing they needed was for him to lapse into shock.

"Better now that they're taped," Roy hedged. The tape helped stabilize his ribs but made breathing a bit harder.

"That's not telling me what I need to know, Roy. You look like you're verging on shock. How bad is it?" The two paramedics moved out of the way to allow the others to climb the rope. Thomas, Paul and Nick scaled the ladder like it was nothing. Spencer had a little more difficulty as did Helen. Ponch wouldn't leave his partner and Chris refused to leave any of them.

Out of all the people here, she knew the paramedics and the CHP officers the best. She wasn't going to take the chance of losing them. The idea of being alone in this situation terrified her. Not for the first time she wished she was home.

"It was better," Roy said. He'd managed to stay upright without help. That was a definite improvement, one he wasn't going to take for granted anytime soon. "Climbing the ladder is too much for my ribs."

Johnny could plainly see how much the admission hurt his friend. Roy was one of the most independent people he knew. A rope dropped down between them forestalling any further conversation. The bottom of the rope was rigged into a sling. Johnny looked up to see two of the National Guardsmen up on the roof, the rope in hand.

"We'll load him up. The rest you, get up the ladder," the leader ordered. The number of people gathering had increased. The situation could quickly devolve. That was something they didn't want, to shoot at American civilians.

Ponch was the last to climb up. He waited until his partner had been pulled up the side of the building after they'd hoisted Roy. He didn't want to take any chances. Just as he reached the roof of the structure the CHP officer heard a second and possibly a third helicopter hovering nearby.

"What's going on?" he asked the nearest Guardsman. The man was about his height and size but Ponch wasn't sure he wanted to pick a fight with him.

"They're going to work on evacuating this area. The fires are moving faster than we'd hoped and there aren't enough level areas for the copters to land," the man informed him. As he spoke Helen, Paul, Thomas, and Nick were being loaded into the helicopter. A short distance away they could see a second, larger helicopter hovering, waiting to take its place.

"Are you going to make everyone climb up to the top of this roof?" Ponch wanted to know. Looking back at some of the people gathering below, he could see some very obvious injuries. He felt momentarily guilty that he wasn't allowing the injured to take the next helicopter.

"The other copter is looking for landing sites. So far, this is the only one we've found for several blocks. We'll do the best we can." Their conversation was momentarily disrupted by the noise of the helicopter's engines as it took off from the roof. Beneath their feet they could feel the building perceptively shift. "We'll use this site as long as we can."

The second helicopter landed carefully on the roof. It kicked up copious amounts of dust and rock. The survivors had to hold their hands up in front of their faces to protect their eyes from the assault. The side door of the helicopter slid open and ten men climbed out. The leader of the National Guardsmen stepped aside with the man in charge from the helicopter and they held a conference while Chris, Spencer, Johnny, Ponch, Jon and Roy were pulled u into the large machine.

Chris wasn't sure what scared her the most, the thought of the roof caving in or of flying in the contraption. Unconsciously, she caught hold of Spencer's nearest arm. The boy had wound up sitting beside her. Johnny was on her other side on the bench while Jon and Roy were seated across from them. Ponch was perched precariously on the seat beside the two men, trying to not take up any more room than necessary. It felt wonderful to be back in some semblance of civilization but she was worried 

about her brother and didn't know where they were going to wind up. She hated the not knowing worse than anything.

The four men climbed on board with them. The leader signalled the copter pilot and they lifted off. Spencer and Chris both held their breath, half expecting the building to collapse beneath them or the copter to fall out of the sky. For the other people in the machine this was old hat. They'd all done it before and it had lost most of its wonder and terror for them.

The flight was made in silence. The sound of the rotors thudding above them pre-empted any conversation. The devastation that they passed was beyond anything they could have imagined. Every building they saw had been smashed to the ground. The only place they could see that still remained reasonably intact was the scrub trees and shrubs along the edges of the canyons.

Even there, though, huge sections of the canyon wall were now in the bottom of the valleys from landslides. Entire streets were plugged or non-existent beneath the onslaught.

At the sound of the helicopter, people were coming out onto the streets, looking up at them with emotions ranging from anger to jubilation. The copter pilot got on the speaker and told the people below that help was on the way. He told them some of the locations where evacuations were going to be localized. It was all gibberish to Chris. She didn't know any of the areas well enough to fathom how near or far these locations were from where they flew.

Looking out the side window of the copter, she saw the flames in the distance. Thick clouds of smoke billowed into the sky. Even from this distance, she could see red flames flickering among the smoke. As she watched the fire crested the valley wall and began to eat its way down into the next valley. So far there weren't any structures that she could see but that wouldn't last for long at the speed it was moving. More fear burned in her stomach. Damn, she wished she could go home.

The flight felt like it lasted an eternity. Roy was looking even paler as they began their descent to the landing site. The jostling of the copter was grating his ribs together, sending flashes of pain through him. A glance to his side showed that Jon was in better shape but just barely.

The helicopter landed up in the hills that surrounded Los Angeles. Roy recognized the area as being near one of the county fire stations. Other than that, though, he had no real idea of where they were. While he'd been distracted by the pain burning through his side, he'd lost track of where they'd gone. A short distance away stood Squad 51. Parked nearby was Engine 51. Relief spread through him like cool water.

Then they were being escorted off the helicopter. In rapid succession, he saw Captain Stanley, Mike Stoker, Marco Lopez and Chet Kelly coming up to them, trying to assist them. "Hey, Captain," Johnny said, relief evident in his voice and face. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

"Johnny, Roy. We've been searching for you for days. Where the hell have you been?" Captain Stanley stated. He was grateful to see his men again. He'd nearly given up all hope after finding the smashed ambulance and dead passenger. The roads had gotten so clogged with wrecked vehicles and 

then the landslide that they'd had to abandon their search. In the mean time they'd been making themselves useful in whatever capacity they could manage. At the moment, that meant offloading refugees.

"Well, Cap. It's kind of a long story. Is there a triage area set up anywhere near? Jon and Roy could use some attention," Johnny replied. "Where have the others wound up?"

"I'm not sure, Johnny. The helicopters are ferrying people as fast as they can. That brush fire is spreading faster than the few engines we have left can fight it. We've lost thousands of people."

Mike Stoker was helping Roy, while Ponch and Marco helped Jon toward the ambulance that had just pulled up on the dirt landing area. The attendants jumped out and began to load the two men into the back.

"Damn," Johnny breathed. He knew it was bad. He just didn't have a clue how bad. Stunned, he looked over at his partner being helped into the ambulance.

"Go to the medical centre with them. The doctors and nurses can use all the help they can get. We'll be down there once the air lifts are complete," Captain Stanley instructed. He hated to let the two men out of his sight but they needed to be checked over, same as the other people on the helicopter. "Take them all with you. Dr. Brackett's checking everyone as they come in."

"Aye, Captain," Johnny said. As he passed by, he shook Mike, Chet, and Marco's hands. It was so good to see them. Then he turned his attention to getting Ponch, Spencer and Chris into the back of the ambulance as well. They were nearly there.


	24. Chapter 24

"Who drove the squad up?" Roy asked. He knew it was kind of an odd question but the thought just wouldn't go away. They were crammed into the back of an ambulance bumping down what had only been a road during the last two days. His side was killing him but there wasn't anything anyone could do about it. So, he was trying to distract himself.

"I don't know," Johnny responded. "I forgot to ask."

"It looked pretty good," Roy continued. In the rush to get into the ambulance they hadn't had a chance to ask any questions, including if Station 51 was still standing. Being a single story structure, it would have had a better chance than some of the taller stations but the training tower behind might have crumbled.

"Yeah, it did." Further conversation was prevented by the ambulance's arrival at a conglomeration of people, tents and other make-shift structures. It was the most people they had seen in several days. It took a moment or two for the native Los Angeles residents to adjust to the noise. It took Chris much longer.

Suddenly feeling very vulnerable and alone, Chris became Roy and Johnny's shadow. Close behind her was Spencer. The younger man was aware of her fear. He was also dealing with a good deal of the emotion himself. The camp looked to have been thrown together on a whim. But then, he supposed it had been. The lack of order was disturbing to the logical part of Spencer's personality, as a result, he found himself to also be on edge.

The ambulance attendants led the group toward the nearest tent. Sweeping the tent flap aside, the attendant beckoned them to go inside. "The doctor will be waiting for you," he said before turning back to his vehicle.

Shrugging his shoulders, Johnny led the way. The dark interior momentarily blinded him then he heard Dr. Brackett speaking. "Where are they?" the doctor demanded.

"Where are who?" Johnny asked. A second flap was opened to reveal Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early and Dixie. The three were standing among various instruments and supplies piled up on boxes and other containers. Cots were everywhere, filled nearly to overflowing with men, women, and children. For the most part they were resting quietly. As one, smiles spread across the medical teams' faces upon seeing the two paramedics. The smiles lasted all of five seconds when they looked closer at Johnny's and Roy's faces.

"Sit down," Dr. Brackett ordered. With a glance he checked out the stitches on Johnny's face. He decided that they were sufficient; his main concern at the moment was the older man. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, Doc," Johnny stated. He helped his partner up onto the cot that was subbing for an exam table. "I'll tell you about it sometime. How did you come to be here?"

"Rampart sustained enough damage that we had to evacuate it. The rest of the hospitals in Los Angeles and area are in similar shape. The ones that aren't are inundated with patients. We're doing the best we can under the circumstances." Roy hissed through clenched teeth when Dr. Brackett palpated the injured ribs. "Did you wrap these up?"

"Yesterday. I didn't have enough tape until then," Johnny said. He was pushed onto a third cot. Jon was on the second one, Dr. Early as all ready examining his arm and knee. Dixie was checking over Johnny's sutures.

"It smells like all of you could do with a bath," the head nurse observed. She was trying to not wrinkle her nose at the people but they were pretty ripe.

"I'd settle for a shower," Ponch quipped. Now that they were with clean people, he felt filthy and less than human. He imagined they all did. Behind him he could hear Spencer and Chris shifting uncomfortably.

"I'm sure you would," Dixie responded. "Who did your stitches?"

"Roy. I couldn't do it with a mirror," Johnny replied, an evil grin on his lips. It felt so good to be back among people he knew and trusted. He felt like he could suddenly face the world again, even if his world had been shaken, not stirred, like a good martini.

"I'll have to get him to help me with some of my needlework at home. He did good work," Dixie said. Minutes passed as she cleaned the stitched cuts. "Is it really bad out there?"

"Worse than I'd ever imagined," Johnny said. "How's Roy?" He didn't feel up to reliving what had just happened. So he tried to change the subject.

"He'll be fine," Dr. Brackett assured him. "A few shots of morphine and some sleep and he'll be feeling better in no time."

An orderly stuck his head into the tent. "Dr. Brackett, the copters are bringing in more casualties," he informed them.

"How many?" Dr. Early asked. He'd wrapped Jon's knee to give it better support but there wasn't much else he could do for the man. There were no x-ray machines currently available. When there was one he'd have to make sure the man's arm was scanned.

"I'm not sure, sir. There are a couple of copters circling the landing site. They're finding lots of people."

"Okay. We'll be ready." Dr. Early turned to the other three people in the tent. "Are there any other injuries?"

"No, Doc. Just the ones you're checking," Ponch supplied.

"Good. Dixie will show you where to get cleaned up and where you'll be sleeping. Johnny, once you've had a meal and rested, Battalion will probably want you to go back on duty. There are a lot of people who need help," Dr. Brackett said.

"Sure thing." All he really wanted at the moment was a shower, a hot meal and several hours of sleep. The rest of the whole was going to have to take care of itself until then. He'd figure out how to watch over Roy later.


	25. Chapter 25

_Hello to my anonymous reviewer. I'm sorry. I've edited my story since I started writing it and somehow managed to delete the section where I explained that in most of my stories Roy isn't married or have children. I just find it easier to write that way. I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way._ _Susanne_

Feeling more human than she had in days, Chris followed the men into the mess hall. Hospital greens were the best thing she'd worn in a long time, or so it seemed. The men were similarly dressed. Having only seen them in their uniforms since she met the men, they looked kind of odd too.

The mess hall was set up just like a cafeteria. They picked up their trays and decided which of the items available they wanted. Once their trays were filled they moved over to the nearest clear table. There weren't many empty tables. There were probably one hundred or more people in the tent. Some were rescue works while others were refugees. All of them seemed to have the same mask of shock on their faces.

"This is going to taste wonderful," Spencer stated. He paused a minute to enjoy the scents of steaming food. It felt like an eternity since he'd had a decent meal.

"Yeah. I hope it tastes better than it smells," Ponch said. Without any further preamble, he dove in. Jon was momentarily embarrassed by his partner's enthusiasm until he realized that they were all pretty much inhaling the food. Shrugging his shoulder, he set about eating as much as he could before it got cold.

"Do you suppose my brother is in one of these camps?" Chris asked. Thoughts of her brother had been weighing heavily on her mind now that the immediate danger was over.

"Do you remember the name of the hotel you were staying at?" Jon asked. He could see the woman's concern, it was written all over her face. He felt for her. He also envied her. Her home was safe. For all he knew his apartment building was a pile of rubble like so many others.

"No." Pure panic spiked through her mind. She couldn't even remember the name of the street they'd been on. How was she ever going to find him?

"Don't worry. We're going to find him. The Red Cross usually takes the names of all the displaced people. It may just take us a while to get all the names and locations locked down. We'll make sure you're registered after we eat," Jon tried to reassure her.

Suddenly no longer hungry, Chris continued to play with the food on her plate as the five men talked. Mostly it was shop talk between the CHP officers and LAFD paramedics. She found it hard to follow a lot of what was being discussed so she tended to block it out. Instead she spent time looking at the other people.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Roy asked. He was sitting beside the woman and had noticed how quiet she was. He'd also noticed how little she'd actually eaten. The clothes she'd been wearing the 

day of the earthquake had begun to be big on her, even after just a few days. She was more traumatized that she was letting on.

"No. I'm not really hungry."

"The cooks will be upset," Roy stated. It wasn't the best food he'd ever had. In fact, it reminded him very much of hospital food but it was better than cold, canned beans. "I think they've slaved for hours on this."

"I'm sorry," Chris apologized, genuinely concerned that she might have hurt someone's feelings.

"I was joking," Roy assured her. He hadn't meant to upset the woman.

"I just really want to go home." There, she'd said it. Now maybe she could get the self-pity out of her system. A deep breath returned some of her sanity. "I'm better now. What do we do now?"

"I think we're all going to go and try to rest for a while. After that we'll have to see." It killed Roy that Dr. Brackett had insinuated that he wasn't fit for duty. Logically he knew that with his damaged ribs he really wasn't able to perform his regular jobs but he could still be of help. Especially now, that the painkillers were kicking in.

More people came into the mess hall. The two of them glanced up to see the men from Engine 51. The men quickly filled up their trays and then came over to the table the others were sitting at. The noise level of the tent rose several decibels as the men from Station 51 greeted each other. Introductions were done quickly for the CHP officers, Chris and Spencer.

"So, you're the ones who kept our paramedics safe?" Captain Stanley said. He knew that his men were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves but he wanted to give them a hard time. He really thought he'd lost them. He could still feel the grief that thought had caused him.

"Well, they were pretty good at keeping all of us healthy. I think it was more of a group effort in the keeping safe department," Jon stated diplomatically.

"I don't know if I'd want Johnny playing doctor on me," Chet grinned.

"I don't know that I'd ever want to treat you." Johnny glanced at the other men from his station. It felt wonderful to see their familiar faces, all looking as happy as he felt. The earthquake and the aftermath retreated from their thoughts for a few moments.

"Do you know where the other people that were with us were sent?" Jon asked. After so much time together, he felt like parts of his family were missing.

"The copter pilot said that they were sent over to the south west camp. He said they were all doing fine," Captain Stanley informed them.

"What's the plan from here?" Johnny asked. "Is the fire under control?"

"No. There's more than one and none of them are close to being under control. With all the water main breaks we don't have any water to fight the fires. The best we can do is use the water bombers and helicopters with water tanks and try to knock them," Captain Stanley informed them. After all these years of fighting fires he found it particularly frustrating that the biggest fires he'd ever seen were burning and there wasn't a darn thing he could do about them.

"Are you returning to the station? Do you know how our houses are doing?" Roy asked.

"No. The station is still intact but we barely got up here the first time. Emergency services are asking us to start searching the rubble in the morning, looking for survivors." Captain Stanley was finding it hard to vocalize the scale of the devastation for the two paramedics.

"As far as your house, Roy, and your apartment, Johnny, no, I'm afraid I don't have any specific information. Most of the city and the suburbs north and south along the fault have been decimated. There's nothing more than two stories tall that is still standing. Downtown LA has been wiped out as have most of the over passes and other roadways. It's like we've been thrown back into the Stone Age."

"Is it just LA that got hit? How are San Diego and San Francisco?" Jon asked.

"I'm not sure. The phone lines were the first things taken out. Ham radio operators are about the only way we've had to communicate and even then the reception has been hit and miss. There were earthquakes all up and down the San Andres fault. Los Angeles had the strongest one but they're still continuing. At least that's what the geologists are telling us."

"I haven't felt an aftershock for a while. Does that mean they've stopped as well?" Chris asked. At least this was a subject she was vaguely familiar with.

"I'm not sure," Captain Stanley said. "Just because we can't feel them doesn't mean they're not happening. Some of the aftershocks the geologists are recording are little more than tremors in the ground."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Spencer asked.

"Most of the refugees are helping around here but there are lots of other jobs to be filled," Captain Stanley informed him.

"What kind of jobs?"

"Well, we're going to need people to help us search the rubble."

"I'll help. At least until I find my brother," Chris volunteered. The thought of staying in the refugee camp alone all day was more than she could take. If they'd let her stay with Johnny and Roy or Jon and Ponch she'd wade through a pond of leeches if she had to.

"Well, Chris, I don't know that that's really appropriate work for a woman." The thought of the woman finding a dead body while they searched wasn't a pleasant one. Captain Stanley certainly didn't want to be the one responsible if she did.

"I've seen dead bodies, Captain. I helped Ponch search the cars on the highway. It couldn't be much more gruesome than that." Chris really hated the condescending attitude.

"She's right, Cap. She's also pretty good at first aid," Johnny said.

"I have to agree," Roy chimed in.

"Well, according to Battalion you're not supposed to be working either," Captain Stanley said.

"You just said you could use all the help you could get," Johnny grinned.

"I volunteer too," Spencer said. He wasn't going to be left behind either.

"Fine," Captain Stanley said, admitting defeat. "We start at first light. The helicopter will drop us off. The roads are too choked for the engine or the squad."


	26. Chapter 26

_Sorry for yet another short chapter. I'd planned on finishing the story because I thought I might have stretched it a bit too far. A few of you have asked that I keep going. Who am I to argue? I'll keep writing so long as readers keep reviewing. Thank you very much to mstaz308, doctorjay, Trumpet Lover and g2fan for reviewing and convincing me to keep writing. I hope you are still enjoying it!_

_Susanne_

Morning seemed to come in an awful hurry. Even sleeping in a dormitory type tent with other people she didn't know, Chris was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Upon being awakened by Captain Stanley, she momentarily considered saying she'd changed her mind about helping search debris. All she really wanted to do was pull the blankets back up over her head and sleep for a week, at least.

"Morning," Roy said. He was trying to climb out of the cot without stressing his ribs. So far he hadn't quite managed it. Climbing out of her cot, Chris gave the paramedic a hand up. "Thanks."

The others were also climbing out of their beds, trying to be as quiet as possible because of the other people around them that were still sleeping. Groggily, the group headed for the shower/bathrooms. The Red Cross had supplied each of them with a toothbrush, tooth paste, shampoo and other toiletries. Luckily for Chris the bathrooms were self-contained so she didn't have to share with the men.

Fifteen minutes later they stumbled into the mess hall. Even at this awful time of the morning there was hot food ready for them. Unsure of where or when their next meal would be all of them piled their plates high. Sitting at the same table, there was hardly any conversation at all as they ate their food. Chris wasn't sure if it was caused by fear, exhaustion or hunger. At the moment she didn't particularly care. All that mattered was the food she was devouring.

"Well, the copter will be here in twenty minutes. We have to make sure we have all of our gear with us and be ready at the landing pad when it gets here," Captain Stanley informed them. He was enjoying the last few mouthfuls of his cup of coffee.

"Do we need to pack food and water?" Johnny asked.

"The copters are supposed to be bringing us our meals on site but it wouldn't hurt to have some just in case they get busy with evacuations, etc. " The captain knew what his men had gone through, he understood why they weren't willing to go without food and water. Frankly, he thought it was a good idea.

"Okay, let's get ready. You guys know what we need," he said, indicating his subordinates. "Poncherello, Baker, check in with CHP before we take off. Spenser and Chris, if you could gather food and water we'll be good to go."

The orders given, the group scattered, intent on fulfilling their jobs. Spencer and Chris went back to the tent where all their stuff had been stashed and retrieved the canteens that were piled there. They 

rinsed them out and refilled them. They then proceeded back to the mess tent, the backpacks back on their backs. It would be easier to carry food that way.

Fifteen minutes later they were at the landing pad, or the square of level dirt that had been pressed into service as one. The others had yet to join them but they could see the firemen over by their vehicles pulling out equipment and cases.

"Is this how you saw yourself spending the last four days?" Chris asked. She'd suddenly been struck by the absurdity of the whole situation. If she hadn't come with her brother she'd be at home, safe and sound watching the whole thing unfold on her television set. At the moment that was exactly where she wished she could be.

"No," Spencer answered, a rueful smile spreading across his narrow face. "I had plans to go camping with friends. I guess I got to go camping after all."

"Yeah, but just not with the friends you'd planned on," Chris added.

The firemen walked up; carting all the equipment they thought they were going to need.

"Ready?" Captain Stanley asked.

"Yeah, are Ponch and Jon coming?" Chris asked. She couldn't help it, she was a hen mother at heart. She had to know where everyone was otherwise she'd start worrying about them.

"CHP has authorized Ponch to help us in our search. Battalion is afraid that we might be attacked, not everyone is happy with authority right now. So we have our own body guard. Jon's been told to rest for a couple of days. The doctors are hoping the rest will make his knee heal faster."

As if on cue, Ponch came trudging up. He held a shotgun in his hand as well as his service revolver strapped in his belt. He wasn't looking very happy. Johnny could relate. He wouldn't have been very happy if Cap had made him leave Roy behind either. With the uncertainty of the world at the moment, he didn't want to be separated in case the world started shaking again.

Before they had a chance to greet the man, the helicopter came over the rise, scattering clouds of dust before it as it landed a short distance away from the group. The side door slid open and a crewman motioned them to climb inside.


	27. Chapter 27

"This is charming," Chet stated.

The group was standing at what had once been a residential intersection. All around them were crumbled houses. Here and there they could almost make out what the house had originally looked like but not very often.

"Chet, Marco, you take the south side of the street. Mike and I'll take the north side. Chris, you partner up with Roy and start on the west side. Spencer and Johnny check the east side. If you find anything, contact me on the handy talkies," Captain Stanley said. To one of the fireman in each group, he gave out a handy talky from ones he'd collected at camp. He wasn't going to take a chance of his men not being able to communicate. Once was enough. "Officer Poncherello, if you could patrol the area and keep an eye out I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Right, Cap," echoed around the circle of people. In twos they set out to begin their searches. Johnny didn't much like being separated from Roy but he understood the captain's logic. They couldn't very well send out two people that had never done this type of work before on their own. Still, he found it distracting. With a mental shake of his head the young paramedic headed to the first house and began climbing through the rubble, hoping to find pockets in which someone might have survived.

Progress was slow. All of the teams had to work at their own pace as the houses were of vastly different sizes. The houses on the street Roy and Chris were searching seemed to be particularly large. Chris was doing most of the bending and checking, she didn't want Roy to aggravate his ribs. The paramedic was doing his best to help. He hated leaving the climbing and poking to the woman, he preferred to do it himself. But given his current condition he had to relent. He satisfied himself with examining the outbuildings and feeding out Chris's rope , just in case she got stuck or otherwise got in trouble.

Crawling through a particularly large house, Chris heard flies buzzing. She had to pause for a moment and untangle the rope that was tied around her waist. It kept getting hung up on broken timber and other debris. With a sinking heart she followed the sound. After all the time that had passed since the initial earthquake they were really looking for bodies. Apparently the flies had found this one first.

The house had been reduced to matchsticks. Chris had to make her way carefully so that the shattered boards she was climbing over didn't collapse under her weight. She was grateful for the gloves Roy had given her as she moved wood aside. The world had gotten darker the further into the pile she'd slithered. The odour was unmistakable but she wanted to be sure. Finally, she heard the flies get closer. Pulling the flashlight out of her back pocket, she turned it on and panned it around her.

She nearly dropped the flashlight as it showed a face a few inches away from her left hand. Gasping despite her best efforts, Chris swallowed in rapid succession to prevent the bile that was threatening to come up. The face belonged to a man and was starting to decompose in the California heat. Flies were crawling all over the man's head, even the wide open eyes that were staring right at her. Swallowing bile again, she reached over and felt the cold flesh for a pulse. She didn't want to have 

to make this climb more than once. She shuttered as she found no pulse. It was all she could do to keep from racing out of the debris.

Breathing heavily, Chris got free from the house. Outside, she found Roy waiting for her. The man looked worried.

"There's a body in there," was all she'd say.

"Okay," Roy responded. The two of them made their way to what used to be the front of the house. Roy pulled a can of spray paint out of his backpack and made a mark on the sidewalk. "They'll know that there's a body to be retrieved."

"Thanks. Let's move onto the next one." It was the last thing Chris felt like doing. Squeezing through the gaps in the timbers made her skin crawl. Walking over the shattered houses, trying to not fall through and become part of the problem gave her the creeps. With a deep breath, she followed the man to the next pile of wood.

In the short time they'd been searching, Johnny and Spencer had covered four houses. In most cases there wasn't enough left for them to do any real search. They were going to have to get specialized equipment or wait until the big equipment could be brought in to lift the piles of timber, sheetrock, furniture and other personal possessions.

"Where are all the people?" Spencer asked as he looked around. Since the houses were flattened he could see the other people from their group performing their own searches but otherwise there was no one else around. It was really quite eerie. He wasn't sure he'd ever really get used to the silence and isolation.

"Cap said that these areas have all ready been evacuated," Johnny replied as he tried to worm his way into a small crawlspace between several beams.

"I smell smoke," Spencer stated simply. He was holding onto Johnny's rope as the fireman searched. It was boring but he understood the necessity.

"There are fires all around us, of course you smell smoke," Johnny responded. The man had been talking nonstop since they'd split off from the others. From the way he kept scanning their immediate area and the light sheen of sweat on the boy's brow Johnny could tell that he was scared. He couldn't really say that he blamed him. Spencer had had a gun pointed at his head once since this thing started. Johnny guessed he'd be nervous too.

"No, I don't think that's it." Spencer continued to scan their immediate area. His mind wasn't playing tricks on him, he could smell wood smoke.

"Well, this one's clear as far as I can tell," Johnny stated as he began to backtrack.

"This is a very ineffective way to search, Fireman Gage," Spencer informed him.

"I know, Spencer. You've told me that three times all ready. This is the only method that's currently available to us. Let's move onto the next one."


	28. Chapter 28

Lunch came and went. The helicopter crew brought them a meal of sandwiches, fruit juice and water. Captain Stanley could have kissed the men when they handed them a thermos of coffee. All of the searchers were covered in dirt, wood chips, and other foreign substances that none of them wanted to think too much about. So far they had been unable to find anyone that was still alive. All in all it was a pretty disheartened bunch that returned back to their search.

"Are we the only ones searching this area?" Chris asked Roy as they trudged back to the last house they'd finished. The task seemed overwhelming at the moment. As they walked she looked at all the houses that were left to be checked. She couldn't even count them.

"I'm not sure. Looks that way though," Roy replied. He could relate to the woman's frustration.

"This is going to take forever," Chris muttered. Steeling herself, she tied the rope back around her waist and began climbing over the next house. Half way across she could smell the distinct odour of decomposition. Her heart sank. This would be the third one she'd found. She wasn't sure that she'd ever get used to it.

"I smell decomp. There's going to be a body in here somewhere," she informed Roy. The fireman was standing on the other side of the foundation, holding the rope as she made her way. Even from this distance she could see the man pale slightly.

"Be careful," Roy stated.

Just as Chris began to move boards aside to see if she could locate the body without climbing inside, the earth moved. A scream was ripped out of her throat as Chris was thrown to the top of the pile. Stressed boards gave out under the onslaught and she was free falling. She could still feel the ground moving even though she had no contact with it. Then the rope around her waist tightened and her descent was stopped just as suddenly.

Fear spiking through her system kept Chris breathing hard as she swung at the end of the rope. Distantly she hoped Roy hadn't hurt himself by stopping her plunge into the house's basement. Her eyes filled with dirt and sawdust, she wasn't prepared for the cement wall that rushed up to meet her. Slamming into the wall, Chris heard a loud grunt escape her throat and then she was pushing away from the wall with her feet.

"Are you okay?" Roy called down. Chris could hear the strain in his voice. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she looked around until she found the remnants of the original stairway. As quickly as she could manage, she swung over to the steps and began to climb out of the basement.

Breathing heavily, she pulled herself up over the foundation and collapsed on the ground. It took her until that moment to realize that the ground had stopped shaking. Something thumped down beside her. It took all of Chris' energy to turn her head to see what that something was.

Looking in worse shape than she'd seen him in a while was Roy. His face was flushed, sweat ran down the sides of it. His eyes were closed as waves of pain flowed through his side into his shoulder and neck.

"I'm sorry," Chris managed.

"Don't worry about it," Roy responded. But he didn't open his eyes. Chris desperately wished he would. The handy talky lying on the ground beside Roy's right hand came to life.

"Station 51, I need help. Mike's fallen into the house we were searching when the tremor hit," Captain Stanley's voice crackled.

Roy's eyes flashed open and he reached for the radio. "10-4. Chris and I'll be there ASAP."

"We have to go," he said to the woman as he forced his protesting body to an upright position. Scrambling to her feet, Chris practically had to run to keep up with the paramedic when he set out toward where he could see his captain beckoning. As she went she coiled up the rope that was still wrapped around her waist. She could feel massive bruises beginning to spring up from where the rope had cut into her stomach.

By the time they reached the large house Stanley and Mike Stoker were searching, all of the other men were gathered around as well. Captain Stanley held Mike's rope in his hands and was trying to draw the man back. Roy paused long enough to look into the mass of wood, furniture and other debris that the rope disappeared into. His stomach sank just as it had while Chris had been swinging from her own life line.

"What happened?" Johnny asked.

"Mike was standing on top of the wood probing it to see if anyone was inside when the tremor hit. The wood collapsed under him and over him. I haven't heard a word from him since he disappeared," Captain Stanley informed them.

"Let's go," Marco said. Although he was frequently partnered with Chet Kelly, Marco considered Mike Stoker to be his real partner. Whenever they were trying to come up with a new invention to increase firefighting efficiency or safety, the two naturally sought each other out. They were of a similar mind set and temperament. Not at all like the mischievous, volatile Kelly. He secured his own rope to a nearby palm tree that was still standing and began to repel into the basement.

Moments later he was joined by Johnny, Ponch and Chet. Ponch had taken Chris's rope since he hadn't been fitted with one himself. The four of them climbed down to where the rope led into the debris and they began to pull crap out of their way. Roy stood on top with Chris, Spencer and Stanley. As much as he wanted to climb down and help, his ribs were still crying out in agony from the jarring they'd taken when he'd caught Chris. If he climbed down there he'd be a liability, not a help. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he watched as the four men frantically threw pieces of wood, etc out of the basement onto the ground above.

"Come on, Mike," Stanley muttered under his breath. He clutched the life line in one hand and the handy talky in the other. He wasn't even aware of the tears beginning to gather in the corners of his eyes. If he had, he would have said it was from the dust and smoke in the air.

"Should I go down?" Chris asked. She was feeling incredibly useless standing on the rim of the basement. Besides, she liked the quiet man trapped below and wanted to help any way she could.

A little stunned, Stanley glanced at people up top with him for a moment before answering. "No. You and Spencer can help me with the ropes. We have to make sure that they don't get tangled. Roy, do you have a first aid kit in your backpack?"

"Yes, cap. " Roy hated that his superior wasn't asking him to go down into the basement as well. He knew why he wasn't but that didn't quite relieve the sting.

"You'd better set up over there for when we get him out." Stanley spoke briefly into his handy talky to inform Battalion what was going on.

"We've found him!" Johnny shouted from the basement. The four men had cleared enough debris that Mike's upper body was uncovered. The engineer was unconscious, a large gash on his forehead. From where Roy stood that seemed to be the man's only injury.

"How's he looking?" Roy called down.

"Ah," Johnny paused as he checked his friend's legs. "It looks like he's got a hunk of wood through his lower leg but I think we should still be able to pull him out."

Mike's right leg was slick with blood. They had to get him out of the hole as soon as they possibly could. Johnny was grateful that they'd gotten their uniforms back, nicely laundered, before they set out. Quickly, he slipped his belt off and used it as a tourniquet. Johnny was relieved to see that the blood flow stopped almost immediately. "Come on, we need to get him out of here."


	29. Chapter 29

_Another short chapter. Oh, well, I'm trying. I'll do better in the next chapter. After the earthquake in China it seems kind of morbid to be writing this for entertainment. I will keep writing but my thoughts keep turning to the people who are living through this hell right now. _

_I hope I haven't lost everyone because things are still going to be interesting for the men of Station 51 for a while.__Please, let me know what you think. Thank you!_

_Susanne_

"His blood pressure is low," Roy stated. They'd managed to get Mike out of the basement and up onto a clear section of ground. Captain Stanley was on the handy talky looking for a helicopter to air life them out. From this side of the conversation things weren't looking good. "But he's got a strong arterial pulse in his leg."

"His pulse is normal and his respiration is good." Johnny had pulled an emergency blanket out of his backpack and wrapped it around the injured man. Mike was still unconscious. The two paramedics were working quickly on him to get his life signs and make sure they were stable. The piece of wood was still through his leg, Johnny and Roy knew that pulling it out would be a last resort. Johnny was just grateful that the piece of wood was fairly small, about half an inch wide by eighteen inches long. It was of a size that they could manoeuvre him without pulling it out immediately. The others were standing in a huddle around them, anxiously waiting for their prognosis. "How's that helicopter coming, cap?"

"It's not," Stanley informed him. His frustration was evident in his voice. "The fires are moving too fast. All of the available air craft are being used to do water drops. We're on our own."

"Damn it," Marco swore under his breath. He didn't like how pale his friend was. Although Mike was never known to talk a lot, the stillness of the man was unnerving.

"I told you I smelled smoke," Spencer muttered. Johnny shot him a look before turning his attention back to Mike.

"What do we do now?" Chris asked. Spencer was right. She could smell the distinct odour of smoke. At least it was a lot better than the sickly sweet smell of decomp. But then, decomp wouldn't kill you.

"We need to get out of here," Johnny stated. "How far away are we from a refugee camp or medical facility?"

"Too far." Was all Captain Stanley would say. Battalion had basically told him that they were cut off and on their own. The fires had spread so quickly that Battalion hadn't even had the chance to evacuate them. The face of his wife and kids began to shimmer behind his eyes. Damn, he missed them.

"How close are the fires?" Roy asked. He had seen the hopelessness flash over his captain's face. It terrified him. No matter how bad a situation they were in, Captain Stanley always remained positive and in control. The bleakness was completely out of character.

"Four blocks and closing."

"Where should we go?" Chris asked. She hated feeling lost and helpless.

"We need to head toward the beach. If we go toward the hills we'll get caught up in the fires. Residential areas are nothing but kindling at the moment. At least along the beach front we'll have a chance." Captain Stanley had had time to consider the possibilities since talking to Battalion. He didn't really like any of the alternatives but there were no other choices available.

"We just got away from the beach," Ponch stated.

"Yeah, I know," Captain Stanley sympathized.

"We need to figure a way to move Mike," Roy stated. He was all ready scanning the immediate area for something that could be turned into a stretcher.

"There's no time," Stanley cut him off. "Chet, Marco, pick him up but be careful. The rest of us will carry the supplies."


	30. Chapter 30

_I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long. I was editing the other 29 chapters. Now that they're done I'll be busy writing again. Thank you for being patient._

_Susanne_

Within one block of running, Chris thought her chest was going to explode. She hadn't been in good shape for years and the treacherous footing only made matters worse. She would have been the last person in the group but Roy was having difficulty too and was keeping pace with her.

The other firemen were well ahead of them. Captain Stanley led the way followed by Chet and Marco carrying Mike. Johnny was close behind them, making sure that the injured man wasn't jostled any more than necessary. Ponch and Spencer were right behind Johnny. He'd glance back at the two lagging behind but he couldn't convince the captain to slow down. All ready, Johnny could see headers of smoke down the road they were following. If he stared long enough, he could see tongues of flames along the edge of the road.

"How are you doing?" Roy gasped. The pounding his ribs had taken earlier was making running a lot harder than he was willing to admit. The woman behind him was in even worse shape. He half expected her to start showing signs of cardiac distress, her face was so red.

"I'll live," she panted. Her conscious mind was berating herself for allowing herself to get this out of shape. Her subconscious mind was estimating how long they had until the fire caught up with them. The conclusions it reached weren't promising.

"I won't be able to run all the way to the beach," she admitted.

"It's not much further," Roy lied. In a vague hope of urging the woman on, he thought he'd fudge the truth a little to keep her moving.

"You're a terrible liar." Hope sprung her heart when Chris saw the firemen ahead of them come to a stop. Maybe Roy hadn't been lying after all.

It took longer than Chris or Roy would have liked for them to catch up to the five firemen, Ponch and Spencer. They were standing beside one of the cement flood channels that were a typical feature of Los Angeles County. There was water in the middle of the channel from the broken water mains but the sides were pretty much dry.

"What's up?" Roy asked. As much as he hated to, he had to pause to catch his breath. Across the channel he could see spirals of smoke and flames. The fire was moving along the edge of the channel. They had nowhere to go.

"It looks like we're going to have to follow the channel. The fires are converging, they've cut us off," Captain Stanley stated. This was probably the last place he wanted to get trapped but at least the cement channel wouldn't burn. The biggest concern he had was that the fires would surround them and use up all the oxygen, suffocating them.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked. Looking around he could see the fires. It galled him to run away from fire when he'd spent most of his adult life fighting it. Without a fire hose and water, it would be suicide. He planned to live for a good long time yet.

"There's no other option at the moment." Without waiting for further discussion, Captain Stanley turned to his right and began searching for a gentle way down. The earthquake had ruptured parts of the channel, throwing sections of cement straight up into the air. Cautiously, he made his way along the lip until he found a fairly intact area. "Be careful, don't slip."

Within minutes, all nine of them were at the bottom of the channel, not really feeling any safer. Chris looked up and down the channel. Visions of huge waves of water crashing down on them kept flashing through her mind. She had a terrible fear of drowning that the situation wasn't helping. To distract herself she looked at Spencer. The younger man was standing a short distance away, patiently waiting for the firemen to check over their injured members before they set off down the cement waterway. He didn't appear to be concerned at all. Maybe she was being silly. After all, these people were all residents of Los Angeles and knew the dangers better than she did. Taking a steady breath, she waited as well.

"How are his life signs?" Roy asked. Johnny was quickly taking Mike's heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. The man was still unconscious but Roy figured that was probably for the best. He wouldn't want to feel a piece of wood moving around in his leg.

"He's stable right now. I'll check again in an hour." Johnny didn't want to say that they would probably still be in the channel an hour from now but he didn't really doubt it. A quick glance to the right and left showed Johnny headers of smoke just over the lip of the floodway. His heart somewhere around his knees, he motioned to his captain that they were ready to move out.

As quickly as they could, the group headed west along the cement. The smell of smoke was getting heavier as they made their way. In some places it was so thick that they lost sight of each other and had trouble breathing. The civilians learned quickly to cover their mouths with their shirts or sleeves to block out some of the smoke. Chris felt a rising panic as she saw flickers of flame above the lip on her right side. During all of this the thought of burning to death or dying of smoke inhalation had never really occurred to her. Until now.

"How are you doing?" she asked Roy who was walking beside her. It was a stupid question but she needed to hear a human voice.

"I'm fine," was the curt reply. If Chris hadn't been so distracted, she might have taken the abrupt answer as a personal affront. As it was, she didn't even notice. Her head kept scanning to her right and left, looking for more flames.

"I thought we were in trouble before we were rescued," Chris muttered. The wish to go home was firmly embedded in her mind.

As the words the woman had just uttered permeated Roy's consciousness, he realized that she was truly terrified. He looked at her as she padded along beside her. Canadians were tougher than he'd expected.

"We'll get out of this somehow," Roy assured her. If the other firemen weren't here, he'd be tempted to ask the woman to help him walk again. The pain was so bad that it took his breath away at times. He'd been reduced to concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and trying to not stumble. Roy wasn't sure his ribs were going to take any more jarring.

Up ahead, the firemen had stopped. An overpass had collapsed into the channel, dumping tones of concrete, rebar and other structural materials. It had even thrown cars into the channel. Chris had momentary flashes of memory from the freeway. Tears sprang to her eyes unbidden. She wasn't sure they were going to be able to scale the debris. She desperately hoped that Captain Stanley wasn't expecting them to crawl through it like the houses.

Plodding along, Roy and Chris finally reached the cluster of men as they discussed the options. Roy crouched down beside Mike under the pretence of checking him over but in reality, he really needed a break. He loosened the tourniquet to see if Mike's leg would start to bleed again. The tourniquet was a good idea but only as a short term solution. Mike's leg needed to still have blood running through it to keep the tissues alive. Roy didn't want to keep it tight for any longer than absolutely necessary. Breathing a sigh of relief, Roy saw that the wound was still not bleeding. Hopefully it would stay that way even while he was being carried.

"We need to get over this," Captain Stanley was saying. He scanned the debris for a way through it and then he looked around the city above the channel. The fires were getting closer. They were quickly running out of time.

"How about here, Cap?" Marco asked. He'd been climbing over the pile. The fire was spurring him on but mostly it was concern for his friend. Marco just wanted to get out of here so he could check on his family. So far he knew that one of his sisters was okay. There had been no word on his parents or his other siblings.

Stanley checked out where the fireman had indicated. It looked like as good an area to try as any. He was quickly running out of solutions. "Sure, Marco, that looks good," Stanley said. He motioned to Chet and the two of them picked up Mike so that they could follow Marco.

"How are you doing?" Johnny asked, concern oozed from every pore as he looked at his partner. Roy was obviously in a great deal of pain. Johnny hated that there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"I'll be better once we get out of here," Roy replied. From the look on the younger man's face, he knew that Johnny already suspected what kind of shape he was really in. There was no sense complaining, he'd decided to get himself in this position, no one had pressured him. Now he was wishing he wasn't so damned stubborn. "Let's go."


	31. Chapter 31

_Thank you very much to Trumpet Lover and mstaz308 for your continued support. I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Thank you to everyone that lets me know what you think, it inspires me to keep writing! _

_Susanne_

Finally they all reached the top. Standing on the pile of debris they could see for a few blocks in every direction. Chris wasn't sure looking around was particularly beneficial at the moment. Behind them the world was consumed by flames and smoke. To their right the fire was two blocks away and closing. To the left the fire was barely a block away. The only reasonably clear way they had was the direction they were heading. The flames were a good four blocks ahead of them. Chris could swear she could feel the heat from the fires raging behind them. She broke out in a sweat but she couldn't tell if it was from exertion or fear.

"Come on," Johnny said. Standing here looking at the flames wasn't really helping anyone. They had to keep moving. Marco took the lead again, Mike suspended between him and Chet, while the others fell into position behind them. Only this time Johnny brought up the rear, he'd been watching his partner closely. He wanted to make sure Roy didn't get left behind. Although with Chris's protective nature he knew that wasn't really a possibility.

"I'm starting to miss the beach," Ponch muttered. He wanted to start running. His survival instincts were kicking in. But, he wouldn't leave the rest of the group. It was bad enough that he'd left Jon back at the camp. Desperately he hoped that the camp wasn't involved in any of the fires. He tucked that piece of worry at the back of his mind. There wasn't anything he could do about that at the moment. He had to deal with one crisis at a time.

"We have to move faster," Captain Stanley growled. The fires were too close. They were at risk of asphyxiating. As much as he knew this was going to bother Roy, they were beyond worrying about hurt feelings. "Johnny, Ponch, pick Roy up. It's going to hurt but we need to get out of here."

Roy didn't even get a chance to protest. Johnny and Ponch scooped him up and began climbing down the pile. Chris and Spencer had trouble keeping up. The fireman and CHP officer were moving at a greatly accelerated pace. Gasping, her heart feeling like it was going to burst; Chris still noticed that Roy had gone unconscious within minutes of being picked up. At the moment, she half wished she could join him.

Luckily, climbing down was a lot easier than climbing up had been. The greatest danger was sliding too fast and turning an ankle. Once they were back on the ground, the speed increased further. Even Johnny was having trouble breathing. Above them the air crackled with the approaching fires. Heat was building up. They were running out of time.

XXXXX

The group's head long rush down the channel was brought up short around the next bend. Another overpass had collapsed, blocking their way. Chris practically collapsed to the ground as she 

struggled to catch her breath. The firemen were a short distance away, considering their alternatives. "Are you going to make it?" Spencer asked her.

"I hope so," was all Chris would say. Marco and Chet had placed Mike on the ground at the foot of the pile and the two men were trying to find a way over or through it. So far they'd been brought up short by huge pieces of concrete or dislodged cars. Looking up, Chris noticed that on the other side of the pile a VW van that looked like it had seen Woodstock had landed on its tires. From where she knelt, there didn't appear to be any real damage to the vehicle. Images of racing through the channel, all of them crammed into the van flashed through her mind. Was there a chance that the gas tank would explode if the heat built up too much? She wasn't sure. Maybe the firefighters would know.

"Any luck?" Captain Stanley called up to Marco. Marco had managed to get the highest but he seemed to have hit a road block.

"There's no way we'll be able to carry Mike or Roy over this," Marco called down. Even if Roy were awake, there was a very small chance that he could manage to climb the pile. The two civilians were even less likely to make the climb.

"What if we used the ropes, Cap?" Chet asked. He was on the other end of the pile. The number of foot holds and hand holds were few and far between. If Chris had been six inches taller and in perfect shape, he doubted she'd be able to get to the top. Hell, he wasn't even able to do it.

"Good idea, Chet." Within minutes, Captain Stanley had ropes thrown over the pile. He wasn't too sure about how stable the ropes were so he sent Marco to the top. Fireman Lopez was the slightest of all the firemen on A shift. He was the most logical choice to send up.

"Okay, Cap. Send them up," Marco called down. He'd reached the top using the rope and had found a placed to loop it around. The next person up was Chet. He was going to have to help Marco pull Mike and Roy up. Neither man was in a position to help.


	32. Chapter 32

_Sorry, I couldn't resist. I hope this is plausible. It made sense to me when I thought of it!_

_Susanne_

"I have a suggestion, Captain," Chris said. They'd all reached the top of the pile. Johnny had forced them to pause so he could examine the wounded. Hoisting them hadn't been easy on the duo, particularly for Mike. The wood sticking out of his leg had snagged on a piece of debris and snapped, starting his wound bleeding again. Johnny was forced to tighten the tourniquet up to try to stop the blood.

"What would that be?" Captain Stanley asked. He'd had very little reason to talk with the woman. He was surprised that she'd even approached him. He had the feeling he made her nervous.

"That van doesn't look like it's damaged too badly. Could we use it to drive down the channel? At least it might get us ahead of the fire," Chris suggested. She half-expected the older man to laugh at her. It seemed like a crazy idea.

Silence was the only response for several seconds. Captain Stanley was staring at the van. Still waiting for the laughter, Chris waited. And waited.

"Are we ready to climb down?" Stanley asked Johnny suddenly.

"As ready as we'll ever be, Cap," was Johnny's response.

"I'll go down first." Without explaining, Captain Stanley quickly made his way down the side of the pile. The others followed with a bit more caution.

Once on the ground, Stanley headed to the van. He'd noticed the vehicle but hadn't thought too much about it. Opening the driver's side door, he was assailed by the sickly sweet smell of decomposition. A glance inside showed that the driver had died, his body was slumped into the passenger side wheel well. Ignoring the body for the moment, he climbed into the driver's seat and checked for the keys. Holding his breath, he turned them in the ignition. The engine roared to life. Apparently the vehicle hadn't been left on.

He was grateful for that. Maybe now they had a chance. The rest of the group had reached the vehicle.

"What's up, Cap?" Chet asked.

"We've got wheels," Captain Stanley replied. He reached across the seat and opened the passenger door.

Without saying a word, Marco pulled the body out and gently placed it on the ground nearby. Their own survival took precedence at the moment. If they got out of this, they'd make sure they came back for the man.

"This is nuts," Ponch muttered under his breath. All nine of them crammed into the van. Mike was laid across Spencer, Ponch and Marco's knees on the back bench. Johnny sat holding Roy on the middle bench while Chris crawled onto the front bench seat shortly followed by Chet. The smell was unbelievable. The only concession she made for it was that she opened the window.

"Hold on," Captain Stanley ordered. Then they were racing down the channel. The erupted sections of cement sent the occupants flying toward the roof from time to time. Chris was just happy that she didn't have to run anymore. With a relieved sigh, she sat back. Everything that happened from here on out was out of her control, she might as well enjoy the ride


	33. Chapter 33

_I'll write longer chapters over the weekend. I was going to try to finish the next part so I could submit them together but I couldn't wait that long. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Susanne_

Mike always drove the engine. Now the other members of Station 51 learned why. It had nothing to do with him being the engineer and the only one qualified. It had everything to do with the fact that Hank Stanley drove like a maniac. But then, maybe that had to do with the flames closing in on all sides. Chris wasn't sure and she didn't really have the mental stamina at the moment to consider that thought too closely.

Between the running, climbing and fear, Chris had been living on adrenaline for quite some time. Now that she had nothing to do her body was beginning to crash. At times it was all she could do to keep her eyes open. The rest of the time she wanted to keep them closed so she couldn't see how Captain Stanley was driving. Crammed between the two men she didn't have to worry too much about sliding back and forth across the bench. The ones in the back weren't quite so lucky.

For the three on the back bench it was all they could do to protect Mike and his leg. The van was swaying back and forth across the channel as the captain avoided large chunks of debris. The three overpasses they'd come to so far had remained mostly intact. It made taking the van seem like a better idea all the time. They could certainly move a whole lot faster.

A loud moan escaped from Roy. Johnny was having a hard time cushioning the journey for his partner. He'd braced his feet against the wall of the vehicle and was trying to keep his shoulders pressed against the door. Desperately he hoped the stupid thing didn't pop open spilling both of them out onto the pavement as the van sailed by.

"What's going on?" Roy asked. All he was really aware of was that his ribs were screaming in pain again. When was that going to stop? He wondered. His paramedic training told him that it would take up to six weeks for the bones to heal. That wasn't really want he wanted to think about at the moment. For the life of him, Roy couldn't figure out how they'd come to be in this van. That really didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"We're trying to get out of here," Johnny replied. He was extremely grateful that the older paramedic had come around. He wasn't used to seeing his partner that lifeless. It unnerved him.

"Are we in a van?" Roy had to ask. He really couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yeah, we are. It beats running," Johnny stated.

"How's Mike?" Roy found it easier to think about someone else. It took him out of his own pain for a few minutes.

"We broke the splinter while we were hauling him over the last overpass. His leg started bleeding again so I had to tighten the tourniquet again. So far his life signs have stayed pretty stable. We 

were lucky we got to him as quickly as we did," the younger paramedic reported. He felt badly that he hadn't had a chance to check Stoker's life signs since they'd piled into the van. He knew that Marco knew how to take a pulse and respiration and that he'd be closely monitoring his friend.

"Are we there yet?" Roy couldn't help himself.


	34. Chapter 34

"It's the end of the line," Captain Hank Stanley announced. Their luck had finally run out. The group had nearly reached the end of the channel but the last overpass had crashed to the ground. There was no way to fit the van through.

Looking around, Hank took in the smoke all around the cement river bed and the tongues of flame. Even if they climbed over the pile of rubble it would take time. They didn't have time. Scenarios raced through his mind. None of them were good. Then he spied it.

"Over there," the captain of Station 51 ordered. He threw open the driver's door and led the way toward one of the side channels that ran under the city. At least they weren't going to have to worry about burning. Breathing might be another matter but they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Quickly the others poured out of the van, taking their injured and supplies with them. They too ran toward the drain. The air was hot enough that it almost seemed to sear their lungs as they breathed it. Chris felt a mild panic as she followed the others toward the storm drain. The roar of the fires was deafening. If her hands weren't busy with helping carry Mike, she'd put them up over her ears to protect them from the racket.

Large grates covered the entrance to the drain. Under normal circumstances the group would have needed a key or a very large vehicle and chains to pull the grate off. Thanks to the earthquake and aftershocks the grate was only hanging on by one hinge.

Adrenaline fuelling their desperation, Chet, Ponch and Spencer caught hold of the grate and pulled with all their might. As they strained against the metal, Johnny came up, helping Roy, while Marco, Chris and Hank Stanley carried Mike up to the entrance. They placed Mike down as carefully as they could before moving over to help. Between all of them, they pulled the grate open.

"Is this a good idea?" Chris had to ask. The large, dark mouth of the drain intimidated her. Somehow, the thought of climbing around in the underground tunnel when the next aftershock hit sent a chill up her spine. It terrified her almost as much as the idea of burning to death. On second thought, the tunnel seemed like the lesser of the two evils.

"Unless someone has an alternative, it's the only option available at the moment," Captain Stanley informed her. Marco had picked Mike up over his shoulder and then he and Captain Stanley were stumbling toward the tunnel entrance.

"Point taken." Chris picked up two of the bags and followed the others into the darkness. At the last moment she remembered her flashlight and paused to extract it from her back pack. Turning it on, she panned it around just in time to see Roy disappearing around a corner. As quickly as she could, Chris followed. The last thing she wanted was to be left behind. She had no idea where she was and needed the others to show her the way.

"Are you okay?" Roy asked as the woman joined him. The others were moving as fast as they could but he was having trouble keeping up. He was grateful for the woman's presence and her 

flashlight. The beam swayed over the cement walls and floor of the tunnel. Down the center of it ran a channel that held most of the runoff from the streets above. At the moment there wasn't a lot there, just enough to get your shoe wet.

"I'm fine. Just don't leave me behind, okay?" Chris knew she sounded young and pathetic but she couldn't help it.

"I promise, I won't ever leave you behind," Roy reassured her after seeing the fear burning in her brown eyes. Fear was quickly replaced by gratitude.

"Thank you," Chris breathed. "Now let's catch up to the others."

XXXXX

The cement walls of the tunnel were mostly intact. There were places where it had weakened and cracked but so far none of the damage was enough to prevent them from moving forward. The heat from the fires quickly disappaited the farther into the tunnel they went. It was almost cool after the air they'd been trying to breathe outside.

Captain Stanley paused at the first ladder they came up to and looked up. If it was clear they might be able to leave the tunnels. But, beyond the metal grate all he could see was red, yellow and orange dancing flames. He had to quickly step back as a piece of flaming debris floated to the ground in front of him and then sizzled in the storm water. As he watched the flames guttered and then went out completely.

Motioning to the others to continue on, he tried to hide the disappointment on his face. It had been a long shot but one he was hoping for. Resigned to the dark of the cement walls, he headed out.

XXXXX

"Let's take a break," Captain Stanley suggested. The group had been travelling at their best speed for the past two hours. Everyone was tired, thirsty and hungry. If he kept pushing them they were going to run out of energy before they were safe. At every manhole cover he'd paused to see what the world above looked like. So far all he'd found was more flames.

Amid grateful moans, the men and woman sank to the ground. Johnny checked on Mike while the others passed around the canteens. Spencer and Chris produced c-rations. They didn't taste very good but they were better than starving.

Beside Chris, Roy hovered. It hurt too much to sit down. It would hurt even more to stand up again so he opted to avoid the whole situation. He really just wanted to lie down and sleep for a week but that didn't seem to be in the cards anytime soon. Restless, he moved over to where his partner and Mike were situated.

The tunnel had a furrow down the middle of it that was filled with water and other stuff that Roy didn't really want to identify. On either side of this channel the cement was mostly dry. The 

firemen, Ponch and the civilians were scattered along the drier parts. Mike was lying on the right hand side. As far as Roy knew the engineer had yet to wake up. That concerned him.

"How's he doing?" he asked as he stood against the wall. Roy wanted to crouch down so he could take a closer look but his ribs weren't going to let him.

"He still seems to be stable," Johnny said. Using a flashlight he checked the wound and replaced the blood soaked bandages. He also made sure that Mike's life signs were still stable. Satisfied, he propped up Mike's head with one hand and dribbled water into his mouth with the other. This was not the place to start an IV and he didn't want the man to become dehydrated.

"We'd better get that wound cleaned before infection sets in," Roy suggested. Distantly he wished they could just drive on over to Rampart General and get the younger man looked at. It amazed him how important things were that he used to take for granted.

"Yeah, I know," Johnny ceded. "But I want to wait until we're safe enough to do it properly. Besides, I don't think we have sterile conditions down here."

"You're right about that," Roy replied.

"We'd better head out," Captain Stanley stated. It was pretty much the last thing he really wanted to do but they had to keep moving. Just because the air was cooler didn't mean they were beyond the fires. He was hoping that if they moved far enough inward that the fires would have burned themselves out. It would be better to walk over areas where the fuel had been spent than to try to run ahead of it.

"How much further do you figure, Cap?" Chet asked. He asked the question partly because he really wanted to know and partly because he was looking for an excuse to stay seated for a few more moments. A quick glance at his watch showed him that it was after seven pm. No wonder he and the others were tired.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Chet. Once we find an area that isn't burning we'll go up top and look around. For now, we just keep moving," Captain Stanley stated.

"Shouldn't we have reached the beach by now?" Ponch asked. It was beginning to feel like they were going to be stuck in these tunnels forever. The CHP officer knew that wasn't a logical thought but logic seemed to be in short supply of late.

"Not necessarily," was all the captain would say. He waited for the rest of the group to gain their feet. Chet picked up Mike to give Marco a rest. Then Hank Stanley was headed out again.


	35. Chapter 35

"I don't know how much farther I can go," Spencer mumbled mostly to himself. Chris never would have overheard the comment if she hadn't been walking so close to him.

"It can't be much farther," she tried to reassure him.

"I hope not," Spencer said. He was tired, hungry and thirsty. The continued running from the fires had worn out all of his physical reserves. At the moment all he wanted was a long bath, a good meal and his very own bed. Sighing, he continued on. Staying here wasn't going to help him or anyone else.

Up ahead, Captain Stanley, Marco, Ponch and Chet were standing at the bottom of a manhole ladder. All four of them were staring upward. Chet had set Mike down on the ground. A faint hope stirred in Spencer's mind.

"What's up, Cap?" Johnny asked as he joined them. Roy, Chris and Spencer were a few short steps behind.

"There's no flames," Captain Stanley stated. Making the decision, he quickly mounted the metal rungs and began to climb. Right behind him, Marco climbed up as well. If Captain Stanley planned on trying to move the manhole cover, he was going to need help.

At her feet, Chris heard a sound. It took a moment for her to figure out what it was and where it was coming from. Then it hit her. Quickly she knelt down beside Mike and panned her flashlight across the man's face.

"What's going on?" Mike asked in a voice barely above a whisper. The engineer was peering around in the darkness, trying to figure out what was going on. He blinked when Chris accidently shined the flashlight in his eyes.

"We're in a storm drain. The fires caught up with us and we couldn't be evacuated. How's your leg feeling?" Chris asked. Johnny had heard her talking and had come over to crouch down beside Mike. Out of habit, he started to check Mike's life signs.

"So that's what that is," Mike muttered. His hand reached down to touch his bandaged leg. Pain flashed over his face and he sucked his breath between clenched teeth. "How bad is it?"

"I'm not sure. We've been moving pretty fast and I haven't had a chance to find out," Chris replied honestly. Helplessly, she turned to Johnny. Beside her she felt Roy forcing himself to the ground so he could help.

"You had a piece of wood through your leg, Mike. We haven't had a chance to clean it up properly, we've been kind of busy," Johnny informed him. Above them he could hear Hank and Marco lifting the manhole out of place and scraping it across the road.

"Where's the house?" Mike asked. None of this was making any sense. Was it night?

"The house is twenty blocks back, Mike. We're trying to get to the beach before the fires get to us," Roy said.

"Weren't you already at the beach?" Mike asked. His leg was killing him. He also seemed to be developing a fever.

"Yeah, we were. Just hold on a minute, Mike. I'm going to get you to drink some water while you're awake," Johnny said. He fished out the canteen, undid the lid and helped the engineer drink some of it.

"It's clear!" Captain Stanley shouted from the top of the ladder. He and Marco had climbed out of the hole and checked the immediate area. Ponch and Spencer began the climb up. Chris looked at Roy. She knew from before that climbing ladders really wasn't the best thing for him to do at the moment. Johnny appeared to be having similar thoughts because he seemed torn between the two men, unsure which one to help first.

"I'm throwing down a rope. Get Mike tied onto it and we'll lift him out," Captain Stanley called down to them. The rope clunked at the bottom of the ladder, a few inches from where Mike lay.

"This is going to hurt," Johnny warned the engineer. He set up the rope the way he wanted it before carefully slipping Mike's legs through it. Stoker stifled a groan as he forced himself to sit up. He wasn't going to be completely dependent on his shift mates to get out of the tunnel. Stubbornly, he caught hold of the rope and tugged on it twice. Almost instantly the rope became taut and then he was being lifted off the ground.

"You're next," Johnny said, looking at his partner.

"I can climb," Roy growled. He looked up as Spencer pulled himself through the top of the hole.

"I remember the last time you tried to climb a ladder. This one may be more stable but there's still a lot of stretching involved. Look, Roy, I know you'd rather climb yourself but it would be safer and faster if you'd let Cap and Marco hoist you up," Johnny stated. In front of him his partner seemed to deflate. Silently, Roy nodded his head in agreement.

Looking up, Johnny watched as the others pulled Mike up through the hole. A minute or two later, the rope dropped down again. Expertly, he got his partner into the harness he'd made out of the rope and supervised as he too was pulled up. Part way up, Johnny was sure Roy was going to pass out as the rope was jolted from above. Barely conscious, Roy managed to keep hold long enough to reach the top.

"You're next," Johnny informed Chris. The rope dropped down again. Instantly, Chet was untying the harness Johnny had made and then quickly attached the bags to the end. It was easier than trying to carry them. The bags were towed up through the circle of light.

"Okay," Chris responded. Concentrating on putting one hand in front of the other, the woman began her ascent. The metal was cool under her fingers. The further up she went the stronger the scent of smoke became. Smoke and ashes. Gritting her teeth, she continued. Then she was being pulled up through the manhole. Right behind her followed Johnny and Chet.

Stunned, Chris looked around. They were standing in the middle of what had once been a residential street. All around them were piles of ashes, cement blocks and steel. She finally understood the meaning of the term 'scorched earth'. Tears welled up in her eyes at the scene of total devastation.

Chet busied himself coiling up the rope again, just in case they needed it. Mike had managed to gain his feet and was leaning heavily on his partner, Marco. Roy was standing beside Johnny as he, Chet and Captain Stanley hoisted the bags onto their shoulders. Ponch and Spencer were looking as stunned as Chris felt.

"Let's get going," Captain Stanley said into the silence.


	36. Chapter 36

The group traversed the desolate landscape for what felt like an eternity. There was nothing alive. There was no hope of finding anything alive. All they had to do was walk, put one foot in front of the other in hopes of finding civilization again.

They'd been under stress for most of the day. They'd had limited food and water. The five people who'd been on the freeway were almost accustomed to the growling stomachs and burning throats. The other four men were used to the thirst and hunger but for different reasons. They'd been through similar circumstances while fighting fires. The big difference was that they knew that once the fight was done that hot food and cool water would be waiting for them. That was no longer the case.

"It's getting dark, Cap. We'd better try to find someplace to spend the night," Johnny suggested. Mike had begun to sag, so had Roy. The group stopped to consider what the youngest paramedic had said. The sun was beginning its downward trek behind the burned out buildings to the west. He didn't really want to spend the night among the ruins. They were scary enough during the day. At night Johnny had the feeling they would be terrifying.

"Yeah," Captain Stanley sighed. The man seemed to visibly deflate at the idea of spending the night. He ran a weary hand over his face before turning to face the others. "Yeah, you're right. I was hoping to get to the beach before nightfall."

"There's a building up ahead that might not be too bad," Spencer stated. His neck was tired from staring at his feet while walking. He'd started spending most of his time looking around. The whole landscape gave him the creeps but he was able to look beyond that to find what they'd needed.

"Which building is that?" Chet asked. Mike was now walking with him, leaning heavily to his right side. His leg was like a firebrand of pain with every step. Mike's head hurt from where it had been cut and he ached. But he refused to be carried. There had been enough of that going on all ready.

"Two blocks ahead on the right hand side," Spencer reported.

"We're not spending the night out here, are we Cap?" Chet asked. He really wanted to go home and spend the night in his own bed. The five from the freeway were too accepting of the fact. It was like they'd reverted to their basic instincts, namely, survival. That was not a place that Chet wanted to be.

"Sorry, Kelly, we're going to have to rough it tonight. When the sun goes down it's going to be dark. Very dark. We need to conserve the batteries in our flashlights for as long as possible. Besides, I don't want to get lost," Captain Stanley informed him. Hank hadn't seen the building. He supposed he should have but his attention had been mostly on keeping the group together. Everything else had fallen away in importance.

"Whatever you say, sir," Chet mumbled. He had to squint to see the building the younger man had indicated. From this distance it just seemed to blend into the background. Chet hoped the kid knew what he was talking about.

"We'd better get going. If the clinic was any indication, we will want to be situated before nightfall is complete," Ponch stated. He knew it looked like the world had been scorched to its bones but he wasn't willing to take the chance. He was the only one who was armed. If people like Jake showed up in the night, they were going to be outnumbered and outgunned.

"He's right. Let's go," Johnny agreed. Ignoring Roy's protests, Johnny caught hold of his nearest arm and started forward. They had some ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it.

"Things must have been pretty bad at the clinic, huh?" Mike said to Marco. He was trying to keep as upright as possible but even after the short rest he was beginning to slump again. Damn but he hated being injured.

"I don't think we can even imagine how bad it was," Marco responded. He glanced at the other five. Now that he thought about it, Roy and Johnny had an edge that hadn't been there before. He wondered if they'd have it for the rest of their lives. He hoped not. It didn't suit either man very well.

"Hopefully we'll never know for sure," Mike breathed. Then he concentrated on getting to the building. He suddenly needed to have solid walls around him. If he'd thought further, Mike would have realized that none of the walls in Los Angeles were particularly solid at the moment. Luckily, he didn't pursuit that line of thought.


	37. Chapter 37

_Sorry for yet another short chapter. I figured after being quiet for the last couple of days I'd better submit everything I have written. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. _

_Susanne_

"Home sweet home," Chet muttered to himself.

Spencer had been right. There was a building two blocks from where they'd been. It was even reasonably intact. It had all four walls and a complete roof. It wasn't even a strip mall. What it was didn't really seem to calm anyone's nerves. Captain Stanley took in the building with a glance. It was certainly better than sleeping under the stars.

"Look, I know it's a pool house but it's better than nothing," Hank said. The building was barely twenty feet across by ten feet wide. The glass door was shattered but still in place. Carefully, Hank pulled the door open. He was surprised when it came open effortlessly and when the glass stayed within its frame.

Inside the pool house was dark. The door threw a rectangle of light that showed about half of the room. Pool utensils and shelving were sprawled across the cement floor. Hank had to pick up the pool skimmer and move it out of the way before he could enter the building.

Within moments he was back. He had some of the tools clutched in his hands. There was going to be just barely enough room for all of them without the clutter. "It'll work. We just need to empty it," he informed the others.

Nodding their heads, Chet, Johnny, Chris and Spencer slipped by the senior fireman and began pulling stuff out. The pool had been completely obliterated by the earthquake and subsequent fires. What they could see of the pool had huge cracks in the walls. Whatever what it had once held had long since drained away. They figured the homeowners weren't going to need their tools any time soon. It still felt wrong somehow.

Once all the tools were neatly piled beside the pool house, the group made their way inside its confines. Chris wasn't looking forward to spending the night in such close quarters with the group of men. But then, sleeping outside was even less appetizing. She tried to set herself up as close to the door as she could but Captain Stanley steered her toward the back of the building. If anyone entered the pool house he didn't want the first person they found to be the woman.

Swearing under her breath, Chris took up a position between Roy and Johnny. She sat down on the ground between them and began to rummage in her back pack. C Rations weren't going to taste too good but it was better than starving. In the gloom of the back of the building, Chris wasn't sure what she was pulling out of the bag but it didn't much matter. They were all hungry enough to eat several horses.

"Here," she said, handing the two paramedics each a foil wrapped package. Spencer was doing the same from his own back pack. Between the two of them they made sure that everyone had their own package. "Bon appétit."

All Chris knew about C Rations was that they were used during the Second World War. Munching on whatever she'd wound up with, she wondered if these rations were leftovers from the war. The hunk she was chewing on had the consistency and flavour of sawdust. Half way through the thing she had to pause and take a swig from the canteen. Otherwise she would have started choking on the stupid thing.

Wordlessly, she handed the canteen over to Roy. He seemed to be having similar problems with his own bar. Chris decided it was probably a good thing that it was dark, that way she couldn't see what she was eating. She also decided that the Allied Forces were lucky to have won the war when they fuelled their troops with this crap.

"Delicious," Johnny stated. In the dark the sarcasm of his voice was very obvious. Clearly the paramedic wasn't enjoying his meal either.

"Well, Johnny, you could have saved your portion for someone who'd appreciate it," Captain Stanley replied. "Chet's bar sure didn't last long."

"When I'm hungry, I'll eat just about anything, Cap," Chet voice said from the darkness. Chris thought by the sound of the man's voice that he'd pulled the spot closest to the door.

"Well," Marco began from his place beside Mike. "That would explain your cooking."


	38. Chapter 38

The night passed by uneventfully. Chris could even hear crickets chirping somewhere nearby. She drew a certain comfort from the sound. So long as the crickets were happy it meant that there was no one around. She was feeling a little claustrophobic sandwiched between the two paramedics. Of all the men here, she trusted them the most but it was still disconcerting for her.

A short distance away she could hear Mike moving around. Apparently she wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping. In her case, Chris was weary to the bone but she still couldn't shut off the pictures in her mind of all that they'd seen. In some sense, it was probably very similar to what Vietnam veterans had to live with. She hoped that it would eventually resolve itself. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, especially without any sleep.

Listening to the crickets, she rolled onto the right side, slid her arm under her head and closed her eyes. Moments later she was sound asleep.

XXXXX

Morning light shone through the shattered door. Rainbows of refracted light danced around the confines of the pool house. Captain Stanley sat with his back against the wall, mindlessly watching. He'd decided to let the others sleep. Lord knew everyone could use the rest. Meanwhile, he tried to come up with a plan. It didn't even have to be a good plan, just something that made some sort of sense.

So far, all he'd come up with in the dark, cramped room was that they had to reach the beach. Hank wasn't sure what he expected to find there but he was certain that there wasn't any kind of help where they were. He hadn't seen or heard a single helicopter in all the time that had passed since the storm drain. It appeared that no one was looking for them.

From his turnout jacket pocket, Captain Stanley extracted the handy talkie. Keying the mike he tried to raise Battalion. All he got in response was static. Quickly he thumbed through the different frequencies with the same result. He wasn't terribly surprised. After all, the handy talkie had been silent since just before they'd started running from the fires. If Battalion had been able to, they would have contacted the firemen of Station 51 as soon as they could to find out their status. Frustrated anyway, Hank shoved the useless instrument back into his pocket. Maybe he'd be able to make contact later.

"What's up, Cap?" Chet asked. He'd been awakened by his superior's movements. Half expecting to be attacked after Roy and Johnny's stories of before, he sat half way up. Kelly had to admit that he was surprised to find that the sun had come up. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was six thirty in the morning. Not a time of day he was used to seeing unless there was a fire.

"Nothing, Chet, sleep for a little longer. I have the feeling we're going to need all the strength we can muster." Hank watched as the younger man lay back down and rolled onto his side with his back toward the door and the light.

No one else stirred. No longer tired and against his own orders, Hank Stanley snuck out of the pool house and took up a position just outside the door. He wanted to be able to keep an eye out in case a helicopter or other form of vehicle passed by without disturbing the others.

The silence of the area was unnerving. Even the crickets were quiet. Hank took a few minutes to scout their immediate surroundings. He realized very quickly that there wasn't much chance of anyone being out here. There wasn't anything left. Even if they'd managed to survive the initial earthquake, and been unable to get out, the fire would have finished them. Shaking his head to clear such thoughts from his mind, Hank settled down beside the door and prepared to wait.


	39. Chapter 39

_Hi Kathey, I wanted to let you know that I had all ready written the part in the last chapter about the problems with communications before I got your review. BUT, thank you for keeping me honest. Please continue to let me know if you think I've missed something because sometimes I do._

_Thank you to everyone that is continuing to read my story and especially to those of you taking the time to review. I love hearing what you think! Thank you for sticking with me._

_Susanne_

The second person to wake up was Roy. Sleeping on the cement floor of the pool house aggravated his all ready sore ribs. Sucking breath between clenched teeth, the senior paramedic tried to pry his aching body off the ground. He didn't quite make it. A groan escaped from him as he collapsed back to the floor. "Damn it," Roy swore under his breath when he could breathe again.

Self-consciously, Roy glanced at the other people sleeping in the pool house with him. His efforts to stand up hadn't disturbed anyone. Thankful for that, Roy had to satisfy himself by rolling onto his other side. Even that was a painful, drawn out episode but it was the best he could currently do.

Within half an hour the rest of Station 51 began to stir. Chet moaned loudly as he climbed to his feet and headed outside. The curly haired fireman had a sudden need for fresh air. He found his captain still sitting outside the door, watching the world around them.

In the direction they had come from large headers of smoke could still be seen on the horizon. They'd managed to escape the fires but they were still burning in other areas of the city. Whole neighbourhoods were gone. The scope of the devastation was beyond anything any of them could imagine. Or that they wanted to consider.

"Morning, Cap," Chet said as he went down in a crouch beside his superior. Fresh air was what he'd been searching for. It wasn't really what Chet got. In the last half hour a strong breeze had begun to stir. The wind was picking up the ash from the debris and whipping it around in mini-tornados. The smell was akin to sitting in the middle of a giant fire pit. It tickled his nose, causing him to sneeze.

"Are you okay?" Captain Stanley asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chet answered once his sneezing fit passed. "Have you got in contact with Battalion yet?"

"No. So far all I'm getting is static." To prove his point, Captain Stanley held up the handy talkie and turned it on. The handset's only reaction was loud static.

"Great," was all Chet could come up with.

Any further conversation was pre-empted by the arrival of Johnny and Roy. The younger paramedic had realized his partner's discomfort and had pulled him to his feet. The change in position 

was an almost immediate relief for Roy. Moving created its own problems but he was still grateful to be upright.

"How's Mike?" Hank Stanley asked, glancing up at his paramedics.

"He's about the same as last night. We're going to have to clean up Mike's leg now that there's daylight," Johnny informed him.

"We'll be moving out in forty-five minutes. Wake the others up and clean up Mike as best you can," Captain Stanley ordered. He hated to wake the others up but they had to get moving before it got too hot. They were running out of water and needed to get to civilization before dehydration set in.

"Yes, sir." The two paramedics ducked back through the door. The day was starting; they had a long way to go before they rested again.


	40. Chapter 40

_Hi everyone. I'm sorry for the long wait. I hope to do better this weekend and the coming week. I'll get this story finished soon, I promise. Thank you for your continued support and please read and review when you get a chance. I love to hear from readers! Thanks again._

_Susanne_

"What's going on?" Spencer asked as he blinked the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes. The two paramedics were huddled over Mike, using the light coming in through the pool house windows so they could see what they were doing. Spencer couldn't quite see what they were doing but he was okay with that. There were some places he really didn't want to go.

"We're getting ready to move out. If you need something to eat, now would be the time," Roy told the younger man. He kept his voice low. Mike barely reacted to what they were doing to his leg. It made Roy wonder if the man was unconscious, not just sleeping but he didn't want to take a chance on disturbing him.

"I think he's unconscious again, Roy," Johnny stated. He'd checked Mike's eyes to see how they reacted to light. The response had been sluggish, not at all what he'd expect from someone who was aware.

"I think you're right," Roy responded. "Let's get this done before he comes to, it'll probably be very painful otherwise."

Spencer slipped out of the pool house to leave the paramedics to do their work. Despite everything he'd seen so far, the sight of blood still turned his stomach. Outside he found Captain Stanley and Chet. The firemen nodded at him as Spencer moved out beyond them and took a better look around.

The landscape didn't improve in the light of day. If anything it looked worse, out of one of Spencer's more memorable nightmares. Inhaling deeply to tamp down the bile rising in his throat caused him to start coughing. The air was thick with dust and ash. Chet walked up to him and handed him the canteen. Gratefully, Spencer took a swig of the tepid water and then another as the urge to cough surfaced. "Thanks," he said to the older man as he handed the mostly empty canteen back.

"You better get something to eat before we head out," Captain Stanley suggested. He liked the kid, he just didn't quite know what to think of him sometimes.

Chris could hear Johnny and Roy working on Mike. For reasons she didn't quite understand, she chose to stay where she was, her eyes closed as if she was still asleep. A short distance away she heard Ponch wake up, struggle to his feet and head outside as well. Still, she continued to feign sleep. Maybe Chris was just hoping she could keep her eyes closed and the whole situation would go away. Sighing deeply, Chris opened her eyes and sat up. "How's he doing?" she asked.

"Not so good this morning. Cleaning out his leg should help prevent infection. Besides that, Mike could really use a doctor and an operating suite," was Roy's response.

"Hopefully by tonight we'll be somewhere where that can happen," Chris stated. She picked up her backpack and canteen and paused to look at Johnny and Roy as they worked on Mike's leg. Feeling kind of useless, she left the two paramedics to it and headed outside to join the others.

Spencer and Ponch were a few hundred yards away, checking out the damage to the pool. Marco, Chet and Captain Stanley were hovering near the pool house door. Marco was chewing on a nondescript C-Ration. For a moment, Chris felt her stomach growl, and then she thought better of it. Instead, she sat down on a large piece of debris and waited for the paramedics.


	41. Chapter 41

By the time Johnny and Roy were done Mike had come around again. The engineer wasn't so sure that he really wanted to be, the pain emanating from his newly cleaned leg was almost more than he could bear. Then they were asking him to stand up so that they can spend the day walking. Just what he didn't feel like doing at the moment. "Are you serious?" he had to ask, looking up at the two paramedics from his prone position.

"Yeah, sorry, Cap can't get hold of Battalion, the Calvary isn't coming," Johnny said, reaching down to help the other man up.

"How much farther?" Mike asked. He wanted to be prepared.

"I'm not sure, Mike," Roy apologized. He had to admit that he felt pretty much the same way. Sleeping on the cement floor hadn't helped his ribs any.

"Well, we're not going to get there any faster by standing here," Mike said, leaning heavily on the younger paramedic. Mike knew that what the two medics had done was necessary, but he wished desperately that they'd waited until he could spend his time recovering by being unconscious. It wouldn't have hurt nearly so badly.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Roy asked as they made their way out the door.

"No. Maybe later," was all Mike would admit to. The last thing he felt like doing at the moment was eating. The way his stomach was heaving at the simple act of standing, eating was a definite bad idea.

As soon as they cleared the pool house doorway, Marco was there, taking his partner's weight from Johnny. Fireman Lopez all ready had his backpack slung over one shoulder ready to head out but he wasnt going to let anyone else help Mike. Without a word, the group headed out, Captain Stanley in the lead. Johnny just hoped he really knew where he was leading them to.

XXXXX

The landscape didnt improve much as they continued following the path set by Hank. He tried to keep them to roads that were mostly clear so the going wasnt as bad as it had been the day before. Spencer and Chris were in the middle of the pack with Marco and Mike. The other firemen and Ponch held to the outside in an unconscious flanking manoeuvre.

Not that they saw anything or anyone alive in their journeys. Chris had expected to see at least some stray dogs or cats but there was nothing. Not even birds or insects. It set her nerves on edge. In her home town there were always birds chirping no matter what the weather. This was just too quiet. "Is anyone else getting creeped out by this?" she had to ask. Even the sound of her own voice made her feel better.

"Why would we be creeped out?" Chet asked as he scanned the area surrounding them. The silence was getting to him too but for different reasons. Being a Los Angeles native, he was used to hearing vehicles running on the roads, engines revving, cars honking and just the general din of people living their lives.

"Well, they say silence is golden," Marco chided. He'd thought he was the only one that was getting weirded out.

"Yeah, well, whoever says that has never heard this kind of silence," Johnny growled.

"Let's keep focused, people. We need to get out of here before nightfall," Hank stated. From the position of the sun he knew that they were headed primarily west. That was the direction they needed to go in if they hoped to find something beyond the devastation. He'd considered travelling into the hills but with the fires still burning in the valleys he didn't want to take a chance.

"What happens at nightfall?" Spencer asked, visions of the night in the clinic coming back loud and clear. That was an experience he really hoped to not live through again.

"Our water runs out," Captain Stanley replied cryptically.


	42. Chapter 42

_I hope this works. I've been depending on Google map to let me know where the group is. I've decided on this location because it feels right. Please, if I've screwed up, let me know! Thanks._

_Susanne_

By lunch time the group were all hot and tired. Exposed skin had started to burn under the California sky. Now that there weren't any vehicles moving around and most of the fires were behind them, the sky was amazingly clear.

Except on the western horizon. Beyond the rubble and debris they could see dark clouds gathering out over the ocean. Stanley was grateful that they'd escaped the storm drains. If any type of precipitation were to hit, the drains would quickly fill up or be blocked off by debris. Artificial lakes would be caused by the gathered run off in any low lying areas.

Well, Hank would worry about that problem if or when it happened. For now, they had to take a rest to let Mike and Roy recover before they continued on. Captain Stanley found a reasonably clear spot and called a halt.

Amid a few groans the group slowly lowered themselves to the ground anyplace where it seemed like it might be comfortable. Marco had been basically carrying Mike for the last quarter mile. He gently sat his friend on a clear patch of cement and quickly handed him the canteen. He didn't want the engineer to get dehydrated even if it meant him not getting enough water.

A few feet away Roy carefully lowered himself onto a large chunk of cement that had been thrust up from the road. The higher he could stay the better, he was having trouble moving and getting back off the ground really didn't seem like a good idea. Johnny settled down beside him and handed over his canteen. "How are you doing?" he asked his senior partner. Johnny'd been watching Roy over the last several minutes and knew he was hurting. But, the older man never said a word.

"Huh?" Roy had been off in a world of his own for a moment there. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't lie very well, Roy." Johnny took the canteen back and took a quick swig. His body was crying out for a good deal more fluid but Johnny didn't want to use it all up before they knew they had a new supply.

"It's better than thinking about the pain too much. That wouldn't help any of us," Roy responded. "It feels like it's going to rain."

"It sure does," Johnny agreed. "It would be a nice change. I could really use a shower."

"So could we all," Roy said.

Chris found herself seated beside Spencer and Ponch. She could see the worry on the CHP officer's face. It had been getting more and more intense with each passing hour. She figured he was probably worrying about his partner. She couldn't say she blamed him. If she allowed herself to think 

too long she began to worry for her brother and the others that had been with them. Distractedly, she wondered if they were still safe. She hoped so.

"I used to live around here," Ponch said into the silence that had settled around the three of them. "That was the San Diego Freeway." He pointed to an area of particularly large sections of cement two blocks ahead of them. "We're on Venice Blvd."

"How much farther is the beach after that?" Spencer asked. His feet were killing him and the ration he was half heartedly chewing on was doing absolutely nothing to assuage his hunger. The young scholar wasn't familiar with this area of town. He was totally dependent on the officer and firemen and it galled him. He was used to being in charge of his own life. After all, he had been pretty much since he was a teenager.

"About forty blocks." Ponch knew it was better than it sounded but they were going to have to hustle to make the beach before nightfall.

"You're kidding, right?" Spencer asked. All ready his feet were burning, another forty blocks and he'd feel like he was walking on nubs.

"They're short blocks," Ponch responded. He hoped it would make the younger man feel better. From the sour look on his face, he hadn't.

"We can make that before dark, right?" Chris asked. Looking at the devastation around them, she wasn't sure they'd find a place to spend the night like they had last night.

"Yeah. Getting over the freeway will be the worse part. After that the road should stay pretty clear."

Captain Stanley had been listening to the conversation. He was very glad to hear that he was leading the group in the right direction. He was also grateful to find out that they should be able to reach the beach and safety, he hoped, before nightfall. Feeling more positive, he tried the handy talkie once again. He'd been trying it at intervals ever since they'd started walking but so far had had no luck. Faint static was again the only response he got. Hank turned the handy talkie off. The batteries were running down. He had to conserve them for when they could actually see a helicopter or plane.


	43. Chapter 43

Within fifteen minutes they were moving again. Chet had decided he knew where they were and was doing a running commentary on each of the broken buildings they came up on. Ponch knew that most of what the dark haired fireman was saying was rubbish but the man's upbeat tone seemed to be keeping the others moving faster. Who was he to correct the man?

Mike was walking again but he couldn't take any weight on his damaged leg. Marco was still carrying most of his partner's weight but he was grateful for any help his friend could give him. The group had just reached the San Diego Freeway. A few days ago, the freeway had been above Venice Blvd but as a result of the earthquake it was now lying across the boulevard. Huge chunks of concrete were lying piled on each other. Other sections of the freeway had pancaked to the ground below. If anyone had been standing there or had even been in a vehicle, they were wedged between layers of stone. Judging from the minute distance between the layers, Ponch knew that no one would have survived.

Carefully ignoring the fact that they might have been walking over impromptu graves, the group made their way over the remnants of the freeway. They were forced to carry Mike, there was no where even enough to let him walk over the rubble. Roy had similar difficulties but he refused help. The weakness his ribs were causing was beginning to really irritate him. If he wasn't going to make it to wherever they were going on his own, he wasn't going to let anyone carry him. At least, not at this point in time.

"Here," Chris offered. She'd scampered over the rubble ahead of Roy. Pausing to catch her breath, she'd noticed how much trouble the paramedic was having. Without a second thought, she held out her hand to help him down to level ground again. Roy's knee jerk response was to tell the woman to go away. But, when he took a closer look at the distance to the ground from where he stood. Begrudgingly, he accepted the woman's hand and allowed her to help him down.

"Thanks," he managed. The pain in his side was nearly enough to force him to stop and sit down. A glance at the woman's red face and he knew he wasn't the only one suffering during their little journey. Taking a deep breath, despite the pain it caused, he motioned for Chris to move ahead of him as they continued on their way.

Now that they'd passed the freeway, the road they were following had become quite a bit clearer. The group had moved into a more commercial district where the buildings were sturdier and there were fewer on each block. As Ponch had said, the blocks were short ones. They found that their pace quickened. For which Captain Stanley was eternally grateful for.

They were, however, slowed by the need to check the more upright buildings to make sure no one was inside. Always firemen first, none of the men from Station 51 would have it any other way. Chris had to admit she wouldn't have wanted it any other way either. Despite the fact that fire had raged through the area, they were unable to give up hope.

The search also served as a way to look for supplies. They realized quickly, though, that anything that had been worthwhile had long since been taken. As well, none of the buildings they searched contained people. At least not live ones.

"Those clouds are getting closer," Spencer observed. The dark clouds over the ocean had moved inland. Now they seemed to be rushing at them at a fast rate of speed. Ponch had begun to search for a building of some kind for them to take shelter in, just in case. So far, though, he'd come up empty.

Off in the distance, a soft rumbling sound could just be heard.

"At least if it rains, we'll have water," Chris said. The thought of having water run over her body was nearly intoxicating. She didn't think she'd take having a shower for granted ever again.

"That's true," Chet replied. He'd taken over for Marco in assisting Mike. The engineer was getting weaker by the block. Soon, they'd have to carry him. Chet just hoped they were stationary when that happened. Even from the short distance they'd carried Mike over the freeway wreckage had caused his leg to start bleeding again. Chet wasn't sure how much more blood the man could lose without permanent damage to his organs. If he'd wanted to, he could have asked Johnny or Roy but he didn't want to give voice to the possibility. That would somehow make it that much closer to a reality.

A cool wind came blowing out of the west. It picked up ashes and other small pieces of debris and sent them flying into miniature funnel clouds across the road. Chris was fascinated by them but still stepped away from them before they spun into her. She'd never seen a tornado. She didn't need to to understand the power that coiled within them.

"This is looking better and better," Chet mumbled. Beside him, Mike managed to force his head up to look at the approaching clouds. As dark and menacing as they were, he was unable to feel much of anything about the situation. Mike's leg burned like hot embers with each step. His skin was hot to the touch. He figured he probably had a fever. Not a good sign.

The sun was beginning to lose ground to the outer edge of the storm clouds. It burned weakly for as long as it could before surrendering the sky to the approaching storm. The world was quickly enveloped in an artificial twilight. The cold wind and an occasional drop of rain combined to bring goose bumps to the exposed flesh of the group.

In a matter of minutes they'd gone from being hot to feeling cold. If she were at home, Chris would have been worried about real tornados or plow winds. Both were a result of the cold and hot air masses meeting. She wasn't sure if hail was a possibility here in California but that was the impression she was getting from the storm. The electricity in the air was sending her adrenaline levels through the roof. It actually felt like her hands were starting to shake. A quick glance at the others as they paced down the street showed her that they were having the same reaction.

The sky lit up as lightning streaked across the clouds. Several heart beats later thunder boomed. Unconsciously, everyone's pace picked up yet again. None of them wanted to be outside, exposed during the storm that was brewing.

"We'd better find a place to hold up," Captain Stanley advised. He'd stopped to face the others coming up behind him. A giant raindrop struck him in the back of his head. A second one hit the ground two feet to his right. Then the skies opened up, spewing forth huge raindrops intermixed with pea sized hail.

"Any suggestions?" Chet asked. He had to hold his hands up over his eyes to deflect the rain pouring down on him. Within moments they were all soaked through.

"Is running an option?" Chris asked. She had no idea how much further they had to go but where they were standing at the moment, being pelted with rain and hail, showed no obvious shelter. The buildings had all been knocked flat for the next couple of blocks.

Lightning streaked across the sky. It seemed to the members of the group that it was just a few feet above them. Unconsciously, they all folded in on themselves, waiting for the peel of thunder.

When it came, a few moments later, it was so loud that their ears rang for several seconds after it had finished.

"Running is definitely an option," Captain Stanley stated. It was the best idea that had come up so far. Putting his head down, pulling his turnout jacket collar up, Hank ran as fast as he could down the boulevard. Doing the best they could, the others brought up the rear.


	44. Chapter 44

As a group they ran toward the beach. The further they went, the harder the rain came down. Chris was really wondering about the logic of running into a storm. But then she wasn't sure where they were going. She knew that the beach ran for several miles. Which mile they were aiming for really didn't matter that much to her. She just wanted the beach to be near. She was running out of adrenaline and having trouble breathing.

Beside her, Roy kept pace. He could probably go faster than the woman but he didn't want to. His ribs were slowing him up some. He wanted to make sure she didn't get lost at the end of the ragged line. Chet and Marco were carrying Mike. The engineer was trying desperately to not drown in the downpour. Everyone else was scattered between Ponch in the lead and Chris and Roy at the back of the line.

Running, trying to breathe, something occurred to Chris. Fumbling with her canteen, she undid the stopper and held it in one hand as she tried to keep pace. She wasn't sure how much water was going to fall inside the mouth of the canteen but it was worth a try. The irony of dying in a downpour after all these days of struggling with dehydration was not lost on her. She just didn't have the wind to laugh.

Johnny was running between the two at the end and Chet and Marco. Ponch and Spencer were between the three firemen and Captain Stanley. The senior fireman had finally recognized where they were and was leading the way. The deeper into the storm they went the harder it was to see. The sky was as dark as Hank had ever seen it. The rain pelted down so hard that it virtually blinded them. But now that he knew where they were going, he didn't really have to see all that well. The captain of Station 51 just hoped that there wasn't a lot of debris clogging the boulevard because they'd trip over it before they could see it.

XXXXX

The journey to the beach seemed to last forever. It took every ounce of strength that Chris had left to keep herself from collapsing on the sand. Putting her hands on her knees, she panted until her ribs hurt. A foot away from her Roy stood quietly, waiting for her to recover. The rain was now coming down in horizontal sheets. Captain Stanley and Ponch still seemed to know where they were going but how totally escaped Chris. All she saw was water and more water as the rain drops fell into her eyes.

"How much farther?" Chris croaked. She wasn't sure how much further she could go. Her legs were shaking and her lungs felt like someone had washed them out with soap. All in all, she wasn't feeling very well at the moment.

"Not much farther," Roy replied. Through the driving rain, he could just see Captain Stanley and the others climbing into what was left of a lifeguard station to their left. The legs had gone out on the building but the remainder of it seemed to be intact. Johnny slipped in long enough to deposit the bags 

he'd been carrying. Then he came back out and was sprinting across the sand toward Chris and Roy, concern written all over his young face.

"Okay," Chris said, pushing herself back up to a standing position. "Let's go." Now that she'd recovered slightly, she wanted to get out of the rain. Not that it would really make any difference. They were all ready soaked to the skin and none of them had dry clothes to change into. It was going to be a cold, wet night for everyone involved.

Half way to the lifeguard station, Johnny met them. "Everything okay?" he asked as he joined the two. He had to virtually yell to be heard over the wind and rain. The young paramedic had a terrible yearning to be home, nice and warm in his apartment.

"Yeah, we just needed a moment," Roy answered. Together, the three of them made their way to the only building visible.

"Suddenly the boat house seems more like a mansion," Chet groused. They were all crammed into the lifeguard station. Mike was conscious again but just barely. Marco was sitting with his back against the wall and Mike was propped up in his arms. Marco didn't want to let his friend get any colder than necessary. The last thing he wanted was for Mike to start going into shock.

"We'll appreciate the closeness once the temperature drops," Roy stated. At least he hoped so. They were going to be wedged in here like sardines. He just hoped Chris didn't get too freaked out by it.

"Well, Cap. We're on the beach. What are we going to do now?" Chet asked. He'd settled down beside Marco and began rummaging through his backpack for food.

"We'll stay here for the night. Come morning we'll take stock and see where we are," Captain Stanley replied. Now that everyone was here, he plopped down beside Chet. There was just enough room between the dark haired fireman and the wall to fit the thin captain.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Chris kind of hung back, waiting to see where the others decided to situate themselves before she made her own decision. Ponch took up position just inside the door. He wanted to make sure he could see anyone coming, just in case. Spencer moved as far away from the window as he could manage. One of the problems of being so thin was that he got cold easily, especially while soaking wet. Roy settled down beside Spencer. He could see how violently the young man was shaking and wanted to make sure he was okay. The senior paramedic managed to ignore his ribs long enough to reach the ground but immediately after they struck up their chorus again.

Johnny moved over to Mike and quickly checked over his life signs. He hated that Mike's leg was now wet and cold but there wasn't a lot he was going to be able to do about it. It wasn't like they were going to be able to start a fire. With the way things were going so far if they tried, they'd probably burn down the lifeguard station. That wasn't a chance he was willing to take. Satisfied that Mike was as okay as he was currently going to get, Johnny caught hold of Chris's hand and pulled her down between himself and Roy. By now he would have thought that the woman would have gotten over her natural timidity. Apparently not.

"What's for supper?" Johnny asked. The scowls he got from the rest of the group made him start to laugh. Within minutes, everyone had joined in with the exception of Mike, who had all ready fallen asleep.


	45. Chapter 45

_Thank you very much, Wendy. I really appreciate your help with this chapter! Thanks for sticking with me._

_Susanne_

The sun had gone down. At least Johnny assumed that was why the world had gone dark. During their frantic run down the boulevard they'd had trouble seeing because of the dark clouds and the rain. Now that they were inside the station the youngest paramedic was mesmerized looking out the door. Ponch was sitting in the doorway, keeping an eye out. Beyond him the sky was black, until lightning flashed. Then all Johnny could see was Ponch's silhouette against the white clouds.

Around him the others had eaten and settled in for the night. All of the backpacks were getting continually lighter as they used up the supplies. Johnny wondered if they should start to worry about running out. Exhaustion settled in. Maybe in the morning he'd start to worry about life. For now he was willing to leave Ponch on watch while he grabbed a couple hours sleep.

Behind Johnny he heard Captain Stanley trying once again to contact headquarters. Static was the only response. Cursing under his breath, Hank turned the radio off again and shifted into a more comfortable position. Within moments he was sound asleep.

Ponch sat by the doorway, watching the rain pour down. The storm hadn't let up yet. From the looks of things it was going to last for most of the night. The CHP officer was trying desperately to not worry about his partner and the other officers he worked with. Ponch had seen his building just before the storm hit. At least he assumed it was his building. Or, what was left of it. The devastation was complete. If that had been his apartment building it was levelled.

Sighing, trying to not think, Ponch watched the torrents of rain coming down the roof of the lifeguard station. Cursing under his breath, Ponch stood up and moved among the others as they slept. He picked up all the canteens and proceeded to fill them. Well, at least they weren't going to die of dehydration in the next couple of days. Finished he settled back in the doorway and settled in for the night. Ponch didn't think he'd be able to sleep any time soon.

XXXXX

The sunrise was beautiful. Ponch was the only one to see it as he stood outside the station. Now that the sun was coming up he could better see around them. To the left of what was left of the life guard station was a cement structure that had pancaked onto itself. Ponch couldn't quite remember what it was but that really didn't matter much now. He just hoped that no one had been inside.

Off to their right was a series of other stations. The others hadn't faired nearly as well. The group had been lucky that they'd stumbled onto the one they did. They would have had a much colder and wetter night otherwise.

"Did you stay up all right?" Chris asked in a quiet voice. She'd managed to slip out from between the paramedics without waking them. The rain had stopped over an hour ago. She knew because as soon as the sound of it beating on the wooden roof had stopped she'd woken up.

"Yeah," Ponch replied. He settled down on the porch and stared out at the ocean.

"What do we do now?" Chris asked. It had been nearly a week since the earthquake hit. Her family would be frantic by now. Desperately she hoped for the hundredth time that her brother was okay.

"Wait for the others to wake up. After that we'll have to make a decision," Ponch said.

"What kind of decision?" Chris asked. The beauty of the ocean was breath taking. She couldn't help but take it in.

"Where we go from here. I think we all realize that the majority of the city is gone. We'll have to decide which direction we're going to travel along the beach. It's the easiest way to go," Ponch replied. He should have been tired. He knew he should have been but adrenaline or exhaustion or whatever was keeping him from feeling it. Ponch just hoped that it would continue until he could sleep again.

"What would you suggest?" Chris asked. "You seem to know this area pretty well. Do you live around here?"

"I used to anyway, not too far away from here. If I had my choice I'd follow the beach to our left. There's a health center in Marina Del Rey that isn't too far away. With any luck they'll still be there and will be able to help Fireman Stoker," Ponch replied.

"Do you really think they'll still be there?" Chris asked gently. Ponch was right. They could all pretty much agree that there wasn't a whole lot of Los Angeles left. She really doubted that anything in this area would still be functioning well enough to help themselves much less anyone else. But then, she really didn't have a better idea. Maybe the others would.

"Probably not," Ponch responded. He seemed to deflate in front of the woman's eyes. "We'll see what the others say."

"I'll have to leave this part of our journey up to you guys. I'm completely lost. All I know is that I've seen the beach before, just not this section of it," Chris admitted.

"Well, we'll have to see if we can find some other attraction for you. You know, see all the sights of Los Angeles," Ponch said. He couldn't help himself. He'd almost forgotten that the woman wasn't from California. He couldn't imagine how lost and scared she must be but so far she wasn't really showing it.

"How about the Hollywood hills sign? Do you think that might still be there?" Chris asked a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

"If it is, we'll make sure you get to see it," Ponch promised in all seriousness. He hoped that at least that landmark of the city he loved had survived.

Their conversation was interrupted by the others beginning to stir. Captain Stanley was back on the handy talkie, trying to raise Battalion. Chet was groaning softly as he scraped his body off the wooden floor. Marco was checking on Mike, who was still leaning against his friend and still sound asleep.

Johnny, eager to check on the engineer, paused in getting up himself while he watched Roy force his protesting body off the ground as well. In everything that had happened, he'd nearly forgotten about Roy's ribs. Clearly they were becoming sorer. Not a good sign. The younger paramedic wished he could get all of them to someplace safe. Someplace they didn't have to worry about things falling down on them and where they had enough food and water. Someplace like there used to be in Los Angeles. Johnny wasn't sure that any such place still existed. He desperately hoped he was wrong.

Sighing, he moved over to check on Mike before they headed out again.


	46. Chapter 46

"So, where do we go from here?" Ponch asked, looking around at the others. Now that everyone was up, including Mike, the group had gathered in front of the lifeguard station. The early morning air was cool and damp. They were all appreciating it after the run from the fires.

"Any suggestions?" Captain Stanley asked. His knowledge of the area was pretty general. Ponch seemed to know it with more intimacy.

"Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital is a short distance away on Lincoln Blvd. We may be able to find help there," Ponch responded. Chances were that Chris was right, that it hadn't survived but he was willing to try.

"Oh, yeah. Now I remember that place. Ponch's right, if it survived we should be able to get Mike fixed up and contact headquarters," Johnny piped up.

"Do you think it survived, Ponch?" Captain Stanley pressed. The canteens were full again, thanks to Ponch's quick thinking, but they were still running low on food. They needed to find help as quickly as possible, not go on a wild goose chase on maybes.

"I thought my apartment building was going to survive, it was earthquake rated. It's a pile of rubble a couple of blocks back. I'd like to think the city made their hospitals better but who knows?" Ponch wanted to make sure that everyone had all the facts before making this decision. He knew that they were going to get one chance at this. He didn't want to be responsible for leading them the wrong way.

"If we go in that direction, what are we likely to find along the beach?" Hank persisted.

"Probably more of the same. How do I know?" Ponch growled. He didn't want to be responsible. "There's a deep channel that leads into the marina. We'd either have to go around it or try to get across it. Neither option will be quick."

"That's not very helpful," Chet grumbled. He didn't really care where they went so long as they started moving soon.

"Which way would you go?" Chris asked Captain Stanley. They were at a stalemate. No one wanted to make the decision. She sure as hell wasn't going to. That really didn't help the situation either.

"Well, we know what the city looks toward Marina Del Rey and we don't want to have to deal with the channel. I vote we go to the north, further along the beach. Worse comes to worse, we'll eventually get away from the city and hopefully find a house or smaller town that wasn't as badly hit," Stanley replied.

"As much as I'd like to check on the hospital, that is probably the best bet," Roy added. He would have preferred the hospital but with the way things were looking so far, nothing would be left.

Before the discussion could continue, the ground began to shake again. Hard.

Instinctively, the group scrambled away from the wooden structure. Marco caught hold of Mike's arm, pulled him to his feet and virtually carried him toward the shoreline.

Once they were far enough away, they stopped and looked back. The ground stopped shaking but the building didn't appear to be aware of that. The walls were slowly moving toward each other, and then the whole thing collapsed.

"I guess we won't be staying here tonight," Mike stated as he leaned against his partner. A chuckle escaped before he could stop it. The engineer knew enough about medicine to realize he had a fever from infection moving into his leg. He hoped that explained the outburst. But then, maybe he was just losing his mind. Always a possibility.


	47. Chapter 47

"Well, that decision has been made for us," Captain Stanley said. "Now we just have to figure out where we're going to go from here."

"Ponch, how close is this hospital? I mean, should we be able to see it from here if it were intact?" Chris asked.

"If it were intact, yes, we should be able to see it with all the other buildings down," Ponch stated.

"Since we can't, I'd assume it's in the same shape as the rest of the city we've seen. I suggest that we head out in the other direction and see what we can find," Chris said into the silence. This continued conversation was grating on her nerves. Standing around here wasn't helping any of them get closer to help. From the sheen of sweat on Mike's face, the engineer needed help as soon as they could get him to it.

"That makes as much sense as anything else," Roy said. He'd noticed the difficulty his friend was having as well and wanted to get him to a doctor for treatment ASAP. Any choice of direction was better than standing around on this beach.

"Sure, why not," was all Captain Stanley could think to say. The woman really was a little too opinionated at times. But then, she usually had something worthwhile to say.

"Should we take the time to eat or move out and eat later?" Chris asked.

"We'll stop and eat later. For now, let's put some ground between us and this place." Hank didn't like to look at the lifeguard station. The fact that they could have been inside it when it went down if they'd all slept a little bit longer wasn't lost on him.

"Sure thing, Cap," Chet said, hoisting his backpack onto his right shoulder. "Lead the way."

XXXXX

As the group made their way along the beach they passed several more lifeguard stations. None of them were still standing, much less intact. Hank was grateful that they'd found the one they had during the storm. None of them needed to spend the night out in the pouring rain. He'd been luck that no one else was injured. Hank glanced at Mike as Marco helped him keep up with everyone else. His engineer was struggling. They were going to have to find help soon.

Growling under his breath, Captain Hank Stanley pulled the handy talkie out of his pocket and gave it another try. When all he heard was static he wanted to chuck it into the ocean. What massive failure must have happened for there to be no one on the radio? Hank wasn't sure he wanted to know.

They'd been travelling for two hours. Hank figured it was probably time to take a rest. Let them just get beyond the next section of rubble, and then they'd take time to have a bite to eat. He couldn't 

see beyond the wreck of the next station. He hoped they'd find something other than broken timbers and sand. Walking along the high tide mark, they tried to stay dry and not have heart failure walking through the sand.

"Let's have lunch after we get beyond this station," Hank said aloud. A general murmur of accent moved through the group. Everyone was walking with their heads down. They'd learned early that watching the city as they moved was too depressing. They had yet to see an upright building since morning. Things weren't looking good.

"I'm not sure things will improve after we eat," Spencer muttered. His shoes were full of sand. He was tired of walking. He felt like he'd walked over every mile that the city occupied. Not a very accurate feeling but a valid one. Heaving a huge sigh, he moved up beside Ponch to cover the rest of the distance.

"I have a feeling you're right," Ponch responded. He'd hoped to see some kind of improvement. The CHP officer supposed he should have known better. They weren't that far away from where this whole journey had begun. Somehow, he didn't feel like they'd made much head way.


	48. Chapter 48

_I know it's short but I figure I'd rather submit short chapters than none at all. Thank you to everyone that's taking the time to submit reviews. I really do appreciate each and every one of them! Thanks again._

_Susanne_

The group made their way around the pile of rubble and stopped dead.

"What the hell?" Chet said.

"Is this where we started?" Chris asked.

"I'll be damned," Captain Stanley said.

Nearly two miles down the beach there were tents. All kinds of tents. Enough that they completely blocked the beach from the high tide mark to the embankment.

There were also people. Lots of people. It was like they'd found civilization again.

"I think we've found the base camp," Roy stated. He couldn't quite make out what was going on from this distance but obviously there was some kind of planning behind the camp. He just hoped that there were doctors and medication available.

"I still can't raise them on the handy talkie," Captain Stanley stated. Relief was beginning fight with suspicion in his mind. If he couldn't raise them, did that mean that it wasn't a sanctioned camp? Did it really matter? He wasn't sure but he didn't really feel like worrying too much about it. If they had food, water and medicine he'd just about sell his youngest child. Just about.

"We are back where we started," Chris stated, sounding nonplused. There, on the edge of the embankment, not ten feet from where they stood was the car she'd been driving the day of the earthquake. All this moving around was for nothing. Talk about frustration. Her only sign of light was that maybe, just maybe her brother was there. Then everything she'd experienced so far was okay. Or at least it was survivable. If her brother was one of the many thousands that were undoubtedly dead Chris didn't know what she would do. How could she tell her parents?

Mike stared dumbly at the distance. His eyes weren't working all that well so he couldn't quite make out what was causing such a reaction. The pain in his leg made it a little difficult to concentrate so his mind kept wandering. All he really knew was that he wished Marco would let him sit down and rest for a while.

"What do you say, Mike? We may be almost home," Marco said, glancing at his friend as he leaned against his left side. Mike had become very quiet and kind of cool to the touch. Marco knew enough about first aid to recognize the first signs of shock. His friend was going to need to get his leg cleaned properly very soon or else they were going to have a whole other set of problems to deal with.

"Home?" Mike repeated, looking around dazedly. This didn't look anything like his home. Damn he wished he could be in his own bed curled up with his wife. It seemed like it had been a very long time since he'd done that but Mike wasn't sure. He was having trouble keeping track of the number of hours that had gone by, much less the days.

"Come on, men, we need to get there ASAP," Captain Stanley said. He'd heard Mike. He knew his engineer was in more trouble than he'd thought. Hank motioned to Marco. They needed to move quickly. Nodding his head, Marco moved behind Mike and gripped him under the arms. Gently, Hank picked up Mike's legs and then headed out in the direction of the camp. The others followed close behind.


	49. Chapter 49

After they'd covered the first mile, Marco and Hank heard a shout come from the camp. They were still too far away to see what exactly was going on. Throwing caution to the wind, they just kept going. The others were trying to keep up as they trudged through the deep sand. Spencer and Chris were having a particularly hard go of it, but so was Roy. He was just better at hiding it.

Once the first person noticed them, he began to point the small group out to others by the tents. Within seconds a vehicle of some kind was motoring toward them. It was too small to be a squad or anything else of that variety but it seemed to handle the sand pretty well. At this point in time none of them really cared so long as it meant that they wouldn't have to walk the rest of the way. Without a sound, they all came to a halt and watched as two more vehicles were dispatched from the camp.

"Do you think they're friendly?" Chris asked. She wasn't able to keep the fear out of her voice.

"I sure hope so," Ponch responded. Unconsciously he had his hand on his holster. The shotgun was slung over his shoulder within the confines of his backpack. So far he hadn't felt like he'd needed it. Although, Ponch did think it might have come in handy back at the clinic. Thankfully he'd never know.

"We're about to find out," Captain Stanley said. The first vehicle was within a few hundred feet. Now that it was close enough, Hank realized that it was a golf cart. Bizarre. Not what he was expecting. But then, nothing about the last couple of days had been.

"That looks like Jon," Ponch stated, shock evident in his voice.

"Maybe you're hallucinating," Spencer added helpfully. He knew he couldn't see anything from this distance. The young scholar assumed everyone else was suffering from the same problem.

"No, I don't think so," Ponch responded. He squinted and took several steps forward as the golf cart made its way towards them. The CHP officer was beginning to think he'd completely lost his mind.

"I think you might be right," Johnny said. The blond person seated on the passenger side had his foot up on the dash of the golf cart. The young paramedic could swear he saw a cast or white bandage on it. Maybe it was a possibility. He sure hoped so. He glanced at Mike. Marco and Captain Stanley had laid the engineer down on the sand.

The golf cart came closer. It was having trouble moving through the sand. The other two were still bringing up the rear. As they got closer, Ponch got a clearer view of the person in the passenger seat. Relief and elation warred within his chest. His partner was alive. That was more than he'd hoped for.

The cart pulled up in front of Ponch.

"It's about time you got here," Jon said. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. After the fires he thought that the whole group had been wiped out. It was all he could do to keep tears from running down his face.


	50. Chapter 50

"It's good to see you too, Partner," Ponch said, relief making his knees weak. He reached out and shook his partner's hand mightily just to make sure he wasn't a really good hallucination.

"It's good to see you too, Ponch," Jon replied. He looked beyond his partner at the others. Concern swept over his face when he saw Mike and Roy. "We'd better get back to camp. It looks like you could all use a good meal and a shower."

"That sounds like a great idea," Chet said. He helped Marco and Captain Stanley pick up Mike and move toward the golf cart with him.

"Is there any kind of authority at camp?" Captain Stanley asked. He was still getting no response on the handy talkie. He was beginning to wonder if the stupid thing was the problem, not Battalion at all.

"What's left of CHP, LAPD, LAFD and every doctor and other medical personnel are there. We had to be evacuated from the base camp in the hills once the fires got too close. We didn't have much time. We lost a lot of supplies and a few people," Jon explained as they got Mike situated on the back of the golf cart. Roy was seated beside him. Johnny wanted to make sure his partner got medical attention as well. Absently, he scratched at the stitches that were still in his hair and face. In all the excitement of the last few days he'd virtually forgotten about them.

"You'd better go in with them, Johnny, just in case," Captain Stanley suggested.

"If Battalion is there, they'll want to talk to you, Cap," was Johnny's response.

"I'll be right behind you," Hank reassured the paramedic. The other two carts had finally arrived. The people driving them looked vaguely familiar to Chris but she couldn't quite place them. The first cart left. Chris was immediately hit with a panicked feeling at the thought of being alone without the paramedics. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to be moved into the nearest golf cart. Spencer was seated beside her, followed by Ponch. The firemen were piled into the last cart.

The man driving her golf cart was tall. Chris could tell that even from a seated position. He was dressed in a military uniform of some kind. There wasn't a rear view mirror on the cart so she couldn't look for any form of insignia. Staring at the back of the man's head, she still felt like she should know him.

"Isn't that one of the men who rescued us from the clinic?" Spencer asked suddenly.

"I think you're right," Ponch agreed. Their driver looked very much like the tallest of the men that had landed on the clinic roof. Chris wasn't sure if that made her feel safer or less so.

The trip to the camp took a matter of minutes. The closer they got to the grouping of tents the more people they saw. Jon and the others were all ready at the largest tent where they were pulling 

Mike out of the back. Two orderlies came out to help. Then the other two carts pulled up in front of the tent.

"You're all supposed to get checked out," their driver informed them.

The prospect didn't thrill Chris much. She hated to see her own doctor, much less a perfect stranger. Sheepishly, she allowed Ponch to lead her into the tent. Off to her right Mike was sprawled on a cot where a familiar looking doctor was examining him. The nurse beside him looked familiar too. Roy was lying on a cot a few feet away and a white haired doctor was checking him over. Johnny hovered nearby, unable to sit long enough to allow anyone to examine him until the other two men's prognosis were reached. He kept bouncing between Roy and Mike, watching to see what the doctors were doing.

"Johnny, would you please sit down? I'll let you know how he's doing as soon as I know anything," the dark haired doctor growled in exasperation. It was hard to concentrate with the young man standing so close, vibrating with excess energy.

"Sure, Doc, I know," Johnny responded. He looked up and saw the others. Happy to have something else to distract him from the doctors, he moved over to them.

"You remember Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early and Head Nurse Dixie McCall, right?" he asked, indicating each of them in turn.

"Oh, yeah, they examined you and Roy up at the mountain camp," Spencer said. He had a much better head for names and faces than Chris. She was pretty useless when it came to either, unless she could write them down three or four times. Even then, success wasn't always guaranteed. She just nodded at them in acknowledgement.

"It's good to see that you made it out," Ponch said. He was looking for Jon. Now that he knew his friend was okay, he didn't want to take a chance of losing him again. Relief swept through him when Jon hobbled into the tent on a crutch.

"How's the leg and arm today, Officer Baker?" Dr. Brackett asked after he glanced up at the new arrival.

"Sore," Jon answered honestly. "But they're getting better."

"Glad to hear it. Could you go check out the latest Red Cross lists? I'd like to know how many more casualties we'll be looking at," Dr. Brackett asked.

"Sure thing, Doctor Brackett, I'll be back in a few minutes," Jon responded. He motioned for Ponch to follow as he headed back out of the tent.

"I don't think you'll find too many more casualties, Doc," Johnny said. "Even before the fire we were finding bodies, not survivors."

"I know. I just keep hoping that more managed to find some way to get out," Dr. Kelly Brackett said. "This wound is infected. We're going to have to do a debridement. Is there any place left that'll work as a surgery suite?"

"No. The only clean room we had left was burnt up when the last camp was overrun by the fire. You're going to have to perform the surgery here. I'll handle the anaesthetic if you'd like," Dr. Early suggested.

"I don't see as we have a choice. Are any of you injured?" Dr. Brackett had turned his attention to the others of the group. He wanted to know what to expect.

"No, sir," Captain Stanley said. All he really wanted was a shower, a meal and a bed. He assumed that whoever was in charge of LAFD would want to talk to him but at this moment, he figured they could wait.

"Okay, go find something to eat and get cleaned up. This is going to take a while," Dr. Brackett suggested. As usual, it came out as more of an order than a suggestion. Spencer and the firemen shuffled out of the tent, intent on following the doctor's orders.

"I'd like to see the Red Cross list, I'm looking for my brother," Chris said. Hope had sprung in her heart at the mention of the list. She didn't want to get separated from the others but she really wanted to see her brother. It seemed like it had been an eternity since she'd heard his voice.

"Okay, wait for Jon to get back. This might get a little messy," Dr. Brackett said. He glanced up at the woman from where he crouched beside Mike's cot. He half expected to see her turn green at the thought of what they were about to do but she simply looked back at him.

"She's helped us out a lot since the earthquake, Doc. I haven't found anything yet that scares her," Johnny stated.

"That's just because you haven't been paying attention," was Chris's quiet response.

"Do you need us to stay?" Roy asked from his position on the cot. He hated to admit just how good lying down was feeling at the moment.

"You're not going anywhere for a few days, Roy. You and your ribs need the rest," Dr. Early advised the older paramedic. "Johnny, you might want to hang around in case we need an extra pair of hands."

"Sure, doc," Johnny said. He placed a hand on Chris's nearest shoulder and led her over to Roy's cot. As strong as she was, he didn't want to see the inside of Mike's leg unless he absolutely had to. He didn't want her to see it either.

Within minutes the doctors had Mike asleep, a portable anaesthetic machine hooked up and running, keeping the engineer under. Dixie had the sterile instruments set up and ready to go. The two 

doctors were busy washing their hands in preparation for the surgery they were about to perform. With exquisite deliberation, Dr. Brackett began to clean the wound.


	51. Chapter 51

"How did it go?" Captain Stanley asked. The doctors had finished the surgery and gone over to the mess tent to grab a bite to eat during the lull. Dixie had stayed with Mike to monitor his vital signs in case of any complications. Despite the casual question, Hank was very concerned for his engineer. He'd come to rely on Mike Stoker during the years they'd worked together. He liked the younger man and didn't want to have to deal with breaking in a new guy.

"We got the wound cleaned up and we've hit him up with antibiotics. Barring any unforeseen complications and further infection he should be fine. It's a good thing you got him here when you did though, another few days and gangrene would have set in. Your engineer might have lost his leg," Dr. Brackett informed them.

All the members of the group were seated at a table, trays of food sitting in front of them. Chris was pouring over the Red Cross list, desperately trying to find her brother's name. Her food was sitting untouched on her plate. For the first time in her life she wasn't hungry

"Is he there?" Roy asked even though he knew the answer from the expression on her face. The doctors had agreed to let him out of the hospital tent so long as he agreed to take it easy and get as much rest as he could for the next couple of days. Not wanting to be separated from the others, he'd have agreed to just about any demand they'd made.

"No," Chris answered, not looking up from the sheets of paper. She kept looking at them over and over again in the vain hope that maybe his name would magically appear. Reality didn't apply at the moment.

"I'm sure he's fine," Johnny tried to assured her. "Eat your food. We'll find the showers and clean clothes once you're done."

"I'm not feeling very hungry right now," Chris responded. She knew the paramedics were trying to look after her but that didn't really stop the pain burning in her heart at the thought of her brother being dead. It hurt so badly that it was hard to breathe.

"I know you're not but you have to eat. We've been surviving on C Rations for two days now, you need real food," Roy said.

"You call this real food?" Chet griped from the end of the table. He was spooning around his mashed potatoes.

"Hey, it's hot and you didn't cook it. That makes it real food in my books," Johnny replied. To prove his point, he scooped up a wad of the gluey white substance and flung it at the curly haired Irish man.

"Hey!" Chet exclaimed as the spoonful of mutilated potatoes hit him in the head. Their gluey nature continued as he tried to get it out. "Thanks a lot, Gage."

"You're welcome," Johnny said, an evil grin on his face.

"Would you two grow up?" Marco asked. He was still worried about his friend. The escapades of the two were starting to really irritate him.

"Where's the fun in that?" Johnny asked.


	52. Chapter 52

Their meal finished, Johnny and Roy coaxed Chris to her feet and went off in search of the showers. They didn't want to leave the woman alone. It was like the life had been sucked out of her when she didn't find her brother's name on that list. Unsure of what else to do, Spencer tagged along. He'd checked the survivor's list once Chris had put it down and realized that there wasn't anyone he knew on it either. Feeling a little lost, he wanted to stay with people he at least thought of as friends.

Over Chris's head, the two paramedics glanced at each other. They were worried about her. After asking directions, the small group made their way to what was now being used as the shower facilities.

It wasn't much. Roy figured it looked like something from the Vietnam War or possibly the Korean War but then, it probably was. The showers were communal and situated inside tents. The tents were segregated to keep modesty possible. Reluctantly, the men sent Chris into the women's tent while they went into the men's.

Several minutes later, they regrouped outside the tents, feeling more human than they had for days. Inside they'd been issued towels, soap, shampoo, tooth brushes and tooth paste. Once they were clean again, their clothes were replaced with green hospital scrubs. It seemed to be the only clothes that they still had in abundance.

"Feeling better?" Johnny asked as he looked at the woman. She had more colour in her face and didn't looked quite as stunned but there was still a spark missing from her brown eyes.

"Yeah. How about you?" Chris asked, looking at the three men. She knew they were concerned but she didn't have any energy left to try to help. "Do you think there's any way for me to make a phone call home? My parents probably think I'm dead. I'm not on the list."

"Sure. Let's find the command centre, if there is one," Roy responded. He hadn't thought much about the woman's life before she came here. He suddenly realized that he should be contacting his own family, to let them know he was okay. Desperately he hoped Battalion had contacted all of the firemen's families to let them know they were all right and still on the job. "They may be able to get word out."

"I hope so," Chris responded. She trailed behind the men. What was she going to tell her parents about Paul? He was the eldest; she'd always looked up to him. How was she going to manage without him? Paralyzing grief flashed through her body.

They crossed the camp in search of the nucleus of the place. Johnny and Roy saw people that they knew from the other public services that were also on the job but it still took them a while to find the right tent. After a while they all started to look the same.

"Hey," Johnny said as he ducked to enter the tent. The men inside were military, which arm of the armed forces he wasn't quite sure. All the uniforms were beginning to look alike. Briefly he explained the situation to the man who appeared to be in charge. The man looked at them hard for a moment.

"I'll have to get the okay from my commanding officer," the man said finally. "Frank, get hold of the OC." He'd turned to face the man sitting at a large radio consol. None of the civilians had any idea what some of the electronics were but they looked very impressive. There was another man seated a short distance away, large earphones over his ears and he was listening intently.

"If you'll excuse me for a few minutes, I'll let you know what the CO says."

"Does the fact that my Dad is ex-military help my case at all?" Chris asked. She didn't want to suck up but she desperately wanted to talk to her parents. The need to return home was burning in her heart stronger than ever.

"What branch?" the man asked out of curiosity. It probably didn't matter but every little bit helped.

"RCAF. He was an air plane mechanic before he had a stroke and was forced to retire," Chris answered. It was one of the first admissions the woman had made about her life. Roy couldn't say that he was especially surprised.

"Canadian, huh?"

"Yeah. I just want to make sure that they know I'm okay," Chris responded.

"Yeah, you and everyone else in this camp. Just give me a few minutes." The man sitting at the counsel had nodded at the leader.

The four wandered out of the tent and stood a short distance away. All around them people in the camp were moving around, fast walking between tents, piles of papers in their hands. Generally, it made the group feel a little out of place. Chris checked each and every face in the vain hope of finding her brother. Damn how she wanted to go to bed right now.

The man lifted up the tent flap and motioned them inside. He waited until four of them were they before giving them the verdict.

"You have five minutes and five minutes only. Our communications relays are tenuous at best so I can't really even guarantee that you'll get your five minutes. What's the number?" He asked.

Quickly, not quite believing her luck, Chris gave the man her phone number. Then she waited on pins and needles while the technician tried to get hold of her family. Time seemed to stretch, she was finding it hard to breathe.

"Okay, you're on," the technician said as he handed over a mike and a pair of ear phones.

"Hello?" Chris asked, holding her breath.

"Is it really you?" her Mom's voice asked with wonder.

"Yes, it's really me. It's so good to hear your voice. Are you and Dad okay? How about Trace?" The inside of the tent melted away as in her mind's eye she saw her Mother sitting at the kitchen table.

"We're fine. We've been so worried about you. When are you coming home?" she asked.

"I don't know. As far as we can tell the air port is completely out of service. I'll get home as soon as I can." Chris took a deep breath as she prepared to tell her Mom about her brother. "I have something to tell you about Paul."

"Have you seen him yet? We talked to him for a moment yesterday."

"What?" Chris felt like her entire world shifted two feet to the right. She collapsed back into the technician's chair that he'd just vacated to give her a little privacy. Instantly the paramedics and Spencer were concerned.

"The line was very bad. I only heard a few words but he said something about being up in the hills somewhere, looking for you."

"He's alive?!" Chris looked around at the familiar faces surrounding her. The faces were quickly obliterated by the tears that were running down her face. "I've been looking everywhere but I haven't found him. You said he's up in the hills? Do you have any other details?"

"No, dear. Just that he was in some kind of a camp in the hills."

The leader touched Chris's shoulder. Time was up.

"Look, Mom. I've got to go. I'll find Paul and we'll be back home as soon as we can. I love you. Tell Dad and Trace that I love them too," Chris said.

"I love you too. Take care of yourself." With that the line went dead.

"Paul's alive. I have to go find him," Chris informed the paramedics. She knew that she needed to rest but mostly she wanted to get back up into the mountains.

"Okay," Johnny said, looking at her like she'd lost her mind. They needed to stay here, in camp, where they were safe. Or at least out of the way.

"Where are we going?" Roy asked.

"Are you nuts? We barely made it back here. I don't think they'll let us just wander off to perform a search."

"You never know until you ask," Roy countered. "Let's go."

_Hi everyone (at least I hope there's more than four people reading this story!)Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Enjoy!_

_Susanne_

_P.S. let me know if you think I should end the story now that the group is all safe or keep on writing._

_Thanks._


	53. Chapter 53

_Thank you very much to Kathey, Linda, Jada, and Wendy for taking the time to let me know what you think about continuing. I've got a vague idea in my head so we'll see where it takes me. I hope you enjoy this as much as the rest of it. I have a fear that I'm going to stretch it a little thin. Please let me know if I do._

_Susanne_

_P.S. I'll keep your ideas under consideration, Jada. I can all ready see the epilogue but again, we'll see where I go. _

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Dr. Brackett asked as he looked at Roy. The paramedic had just asked to be cleared medically so he could help with a search for another camp up in the hills. The man must be nuts. Kelly Brackett couldn't imagine the pain the man must be in but he was completely serious in his request.

"Are my ribs going to magically heal in the next two days if I rest?" Roy responded.

The four of them had found Captain Stanley again and filled him in on the information Chris's Mom had supplied them. Hank Stanley had finally found Battalion and filled them in on their escapades so far. The brass at Battalion had been impressed that they'd made it back but had also made it perfectly clear that they weren't to go running off again. The n Roy asked to be allowed to go on a search based on information coming out of Canada of all places. If he hadn't known Roy as well as he had, he would have thought the senior paramedic had a brain injury.

After much debate and a little arguing, Hank had relented with the condition that Roy gets a clean bill of health medically. The captain of A shift at Station 51 had thought that was a hoop that Roy wasn't going to be able to jump through.

"No," Dr. Brackett conceded. "But none of you are in any shape to be wondering around out there, trying to find a camp."

"My brother's out there. I don't care if I get an okay from anyone here, I'm going to find him," Chris said. The spark was back in her brown eyes. There was also a determination that burned inside them that made Dr. Brackett realize very quickly that he wasn't going to be able to talk her out of it. He wasn't sure he even wanted to.

"We're not going to let you run off by yourself, Chris. You don't even know your way around," Johnny stated. He was quite enjoying being in camp with all its amenities, like fresh water and hot food. He really wasn't that eager to head off into the desolation again. But he would if he had to to keep the woman safe.

"You won't have a choice. I'm not going home without him." Chris looked at the men surrounding her. They all meant well but she wasn't going to let them or anyone else stop her. Paul was in the hills somewhere, or he was yesterday and she was going to comb the hills until she found him. Or until he found her, whichever came first.

"I can't in good conscious clear you to go off on another search, Roy," Dr. Brackett interjected. He didn't much like where this conversation was going. He understood the woman's motives and even admired them but he didn't agree with dragging the two paramedics into it. Especially Roy with his battered ribs.

"If I'm going to be forced to rest then I'm taken off the roster, right?" Roy inquired. He wasn't taking no for an answer but he also wanted to make sure that he had a job to come back to when he was finished.

"I suppose. Where are you going with this?" Dr. Brackett asked.

"If I'm off the roster then I can pretty much do what I want. I can go with Chris to find her brother if I choose to, right?" Roy persisted.

"I wouldn't go that far, Roy," Kelly Brackett countered. "If I order you to rest then you're required to and when I say rest, that's exactly what I expect you to do."

Captain Stanley had headed off to Battalion to let them in on the new development. The people in charge hadn't known about the other camp at all. Even with their helicopters and other aerial machines they hadn't seen any signs of another camp gathering anywhere in the hills. That left an awful lot of territory for anyone to search, much less a Canadian woman who didn't know her way around. At least that was the argument Hank had presented to his superiors.

His face completely serious, Stanley walked up to the arguing doctor and paramedics and waited until they noticed his arrival.

"What does Battalion have to say, Cap?" Johnny asked. He was getting tired of the whole situation and was ready to either go get some sleep or to head out, whichever was going to happen first.

"Well," Hank began. "Apparently Battalion and the other services didn't know about this other camp. They're a little curious as to why that might be so they've decided to send out a search party as soon as the fires are under control."

"And when will that be?" Chris asked. She didn't want to wait.

"Probably early tomorrow afternoon. Look, I know you're anxious to head out but I'd recommend waiting until then. The Chief said he'd have a helicopter drop the search party off in the hills so they don't waste time getting through the city. That alone ought to save a few days time," Captain Stanley said.

"They know that I'm going on any search party they send, right?" Chris asked. If she had to she'd sneak out in the middle of the night and go it alone. There was no way she was going to be left behind. These people didn't know what Paul looked like and she didn't have any pictures to show them. Therefore she had to go herself to ensure that he was one of the people found.

"The Chief wasn't too keen on the idea but I told him that if he didn't let you go that you'd find your own way there. Besides, you're a Canadian, there isn't a lot that we Americans can do to stop you."

"I'm glad that they saw reason. Now, where do I go to get some sleep? I'm ready to fall down on my face," Chris asked. As much as she didn't want to wait she understood the logic in Battalion's suggestion. Besides, she really was exhausted and needed to get as much sleep as she could between now and when the search party headed out the next day.

"I'm glad that you've decided to stay for a little while anyway," Hank said. "Battalion has sleeping quarters set up in the tents just below the embankment. We're all off duty until further notice so I'll show you the way."

As Chris lay her head down on the pillow she supposed that she should have asked who the search party was going to consist of. But at the moment she was too tired to worry about it. That would be one of her first questions once she was awake and functioning again. The woman was asleep before any of the others even had time to sort themselves out. She would have been touched by Roy and Johnny's concern if she'd been aware of the fact that they took the cots on either side of her. Then they too were asleep.


	54. Chapter 54

The tent was stifling hot. That was the first thing Chris noticed upon waking. Looking around at the other occupied cots, she tried to figure out what time it was. The sun was up, that much she could tell by the light coming in the tent windows. To her right she found Johnny, sleeping soundly with his right arm thrown over his eyes. To her left she found Roy.

The older paramedic was lying on his side facing her. He too was asleep but as she watched his face grimaced in pain from time to time. She suddenly felt really bad for trying to drag the man out into the waste land again. The sad, unadulterated truth was that she needed them. There wasn't a hope in hell of her finding the hills or her brother without their help. And she was going to do anything she had to to find Paul.

Two cots away Captain Stanley sat up and ran his hands over his face. Even from this distance Chris could see that the man was still very tired. Hell, she was still tired. Giving in, she sank back onto the cot and tried to ignore the heat. Ten minutes later she was sound asleep again.

Captain Stanley looked at the woman as she slept. He'd asked at Battalion about his family and had been told that they were safe in a secondary camp further along the beach. He was very relieved to find out that they were okay but he desperately wanted to see them. It seemed like it had been years.

Sighing, he stood up and headed toward the showers again. He didn't think he'd ever take showering for granted any time soon. It felt so wonderful to be clean. Along the way he met up with Jon and Ponch. The two CHP officers were also feeling the need to get clean. They chatted amicably as they walked through the camp.

The showers were especially busy so they were forced to wait for their turn. Captain Stanley turned his attention to Jon's injuries. He noticed the heavily bandaged ankle and the crutch. He also noticed the sling and the bandaged arm. "You've had a rough time of it," Hank stated.

"We were riding our motors along the freeway when the first earthquake hit. There wasn't a lot between the pavement and my skin when I was sliding along," Jon responded. He was feeling better thanks to the days of rest but he felt even better now that Ponch was safe. The guilt of not going with his partner had been nearly paralyzing.

"I'm sure if we went up to the freeway we'd find our motors within a few hundred feet," Ponch said. "It's good to be home."

XXXXX

He couldn't stand it anymore. Sucking air between clenched teeth, Roy forced himself out of the cot. It felt like his ribs were on fire. He closed his eyes as he rode the waves of pain. Frustrated, he left the tent once he could move again and headed for the medical tent. Roy was going to have to get some help for the pain if he wanted to go with Chris. Hopefully Dr. Brackett wasn't going to hold it against him.

"Hi, Roy," Dixie said as he entered. She immediately picked up on the paramedic's discomfort. "Here, sit down."

"Thanks, Dix," Roy responded as he accepted the seat she indicated. It was higher than the cot so he was going to have less trouble getting back up again. "I was hoping you could give me something for the pain. My ribs are killing me."

"I'm sure Dr. Brackett would prescribe a pain killer for you. Just wait here and I'll be right back," Dixie said. She placed a reassuring hand on the paramedic's shoulder on her way by.

Roy looked around the tent. A few feet away Mike was sleeping fitfully. Instantly Roy felt guilty that he hadn't asked about his friend's condition. Then Dixie was back with Kelly Brackett and Joe Early bringing up the rear.

"Hi, Roy, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Brackett asked as he came up to the man. He took in the pale skin on Roy's face and the pinched look of his blue eyes. He must really be hurting if he was willing to come looking for something to ease it.

"I've been better," Roy admitted. Without preamble, Kel pulled Roy's smock up and re-examined the offending ribs. Roy hissed as the doctor palpated the worst one of the three.

"I really wish you'd reconsider go off on this search, Roy. You need to give your body time to heal," Kel Brackett said. The bruising was down slightly from when he'd first examined the paramedic but he was still pretty sore. In a rapid succession of thoughts, Kel considered all of the treatment options.

"I could rewrap your ribs to give them more stability and put you on pain killers. That's about all I can do for you if you insist on this," he said, looking at the paramedic with concern. Kel really wished the man would change his mind.

"The pain killers would be appreciated. I think I'll pass on the tape, it limits my mobility and itches like hell if it gets wet," Roy responded, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Okay, if that's what you want." Sighing in resignation, Dr. Brackett set about getting the prescription.

"Thanks, Doc." Roy sat back slightly in the cot and waited. He was part way there.


	55. Chapter 55

It had taken some doing but they'd finally lined everything up. Battalion wanted to know where all the camps were so they could keep an eye on things but they weren't really all that thrilled with the idea of sending a civilian along. Johnny and Roy weren't going to have it any other way. As Chris had said, she was the only one who knew what her brother looked like and he was the main reason for doing all of this. Captain Stanley wasn't too thrilled with sending them either but he'd fought for the idea with Battalion.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at the three of them one more time. They were as prepared as they were going to get. Somehow that didn't make him feel especially confident. Roy had kind of a glossy look to his eyes but otherwise he seemed to be functioning amazingly well. Johnny had had his stitches cleaned up but it was too early to remove them yet so he'd have to live with them for a while longer. Chris was standing on the edge of the clearing, vibrating with impatience. The helicopter was half an hour late.

A short distance away Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early and Dixie stood by, waiting for their departure. Dr. Brackett had considered sedating Roy but decided that it was unnecessary. As painful as the ribs were, they were not being injured further by his moving around. Short of falling on them or otherwise striking them, they were not going to get better with anything but time.

"I thought that the helicopter was coming here," Chris said, giving voice to her frustration.

"It's running late, that's all," Captain Stanley responded. He couldnt even hear the machine approaching, it was running significantly late. Hank decided to give it another five minutes before heading down to Battalion to find out what was going on. A quick glance at his watch and he settled in to wait.

"I'm glad its running late," Ponch said as he came running up, a pack over his shoulder. He was no longer wearing his CHP uniform but had on a pair of jeans, jean jacket and a t-shirt instead. The other three in the search party were similarly dressed. Somehow searching the hills in hospital scrubs hadnt seemed like a very good idea.

"Where do you think youre going?" Stanley asked, looking the man over.

"You don't really think I'd send the three of them off without supervision, did you?" Ponch asked a sparkle in his brown eyes.

"Where's your uniform?" Chris asked. The man looked a lot strange out of uniform. Mind you, so did Johnny and Roy. She was just getting used to seeing the two of them in jeans and shirts.

"This isn't official, besides, that poor thing was so dirty it could have stood up on its' own," Ponch responded.

"You don't have to do this," Chris said. She was desperately hoping that the man wasn't going to change his mind. She had the feeling that they might need the officer.

"Where's your partner?" Roy asked, looking behind the man.

"Oh, he's coming. And yes, I do have to do this," Ponch responded, that sparkle still in his eye.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked. Then she saw the blond CHP officer striding across the clearing, a back pack slung over his shoulder as well. Evidently, he was planning on coming too. The crutch was gone and he still had a slight limp but he still had his arm in a sling.

"You're in worse shape than Roy. You should really stay here," Johnny said. He appreciated the man's intention but they really didn't need more people to slow them down. But then, more people also meant they'd cover more ground. It was a toss-up.

"I'm moving better," Jon shot back. "But I wasn't planning on going, I've been scrounging some supplies and thought you could use them." With that, he handed over his backpack. The sound of the helicopter approaching forestalled any further conversation. The group turned to watch it land about twenty feet away from them.

Feeling terrified and exhilarated at the same time, Chris followed Johnny, Roy and Ponch onto the helicopter. The real search was about to begin.


	56. Chapter 56

"Where'd Spencer wind up?" Chris yelled at Roy over the sound of the helicopter. It had just dawned on her that she hadn't seen the younger man when they left.

"I'm not sure. I think he'd decided to help out at Battalion though. Captain Stanley mentioned something to that effect," Roy responded.

"Oh," was all Chris could think to say. Lost in thought, she turned her eyes toward the landscape they were passing over. It took several minutes for the devastation to really register. By then, she decided to not look too closely anyway, she thought she was going to have nightmares about this whole situation for years to come.

Johnny, Roy and Ponch were going through the equipment in their bags. They wanted to make sure they knew everything they had at their disposal. As much as they were learning to hate them, they had packed C rations again along with two canteens of water each. The two paramedics had first aid supplies also tucked into their packs while Ponch had weapons. He wasn't going to take any chances.

The parts of the city they could see from the side door of the helicopter were all pretty much totalled. Roy had no idea how the citizens of Los Angeles and the other districts were going to set this right again. Surely the government would step in and help, right? He hoped so. Most people had lost everything. He still didn't know if his own house had survived but from the looks of things chances were slim.

"Where are they setting us down?" Ponch asked. He wanted to make sure he had a good idea where they were at all times. There was nothing he hated worse than not knowing where he was. To that end, he'd also packed a compass and a map.

"I'm not really sure," Johnny replied. Yelling at each other seemed to aggravate Roy's ribs so he wanted to spare his partner as much pain as he could. Of course Roy wouldn't say anything. The man was a rock. Sometimes Johnny wondered if the rocks were in his head. "'In the Hills' is a pretty vague location so I think they're dropping us off near where they were going all ready."

"Are there a lot of hills?" Chris asked. She just realized that she really didn't have any idea how big an area they were going to have to cover. Suddenly Saskatchewan being flat didn't seem like a bad thing.

"You're kidding, right?" Ponch responded. Then he caught himself. "Sorry, I forgot. Yes, there's an entire mountain range they could be in."

"Oh," was all Chris could think to say. This was going to take longer than she'd anticipated. But then, everything about this trip had been that way, why would it stop now?

"Don't worry. We'll find him," Roy tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, I know." Then Chris turned her attention back to the landscape passing below them. And she tried to not fall into the dark abyss of depression that threatened.

XXXXX

The helicopter pilot took the time to fly them over as much of the mountains as he could before he began to run low on fuel. He also showed them the camps that they knew about before landing on a cleared area at the camp farthest north in the hills.

"Sorry, that's as much as I can do," he said as he looked back at his passengers. He knew all too well how desperate the woman was feeling. The pilot was still looking for his wife and sister in his spare time. The biggest problem so far was that he didn't have any spare time.

"Thanks, we really appreciate you showing us as much as you have," Roy replied. Nodding at the pilot, he and the others climbed out and sprinted away from the still rotating rotors.

A man in fatigues was waiting for them across the clearing. He waited for them to reach him before producing a handy talkie and a map. "Your Captain Stanley asked that we supply you with these," the man said. "We've tested the handy talkie to make sure it works and have marked all of the camps we know about on the map for you."

"Thanks," Roy said. "Do you have any suggestions where we should start?"

"The National Guard units have been scouring the southern hills and mountains to collect people. I put the last reported line on your map, that's where I'd start," the man said. Chris noticed that the name stitched on his uniform was Gerhart. She had the impression she'd seen him before but she couldn't quite place him.

"Thanks," Chris said. She looked to the three men to see what their next move should be. She really had no idea.

"Well, we'll go get something to eat before we head out," Ponch said. If Jon were here, he would have chided his partner. Ponch was well known for thinking with his stomach.

"That's probably a good idea," Johnny agreed. "It'll give us time to examine the map and develop a search pattern."

The guardsman told them where the mess tent was and watched as they made their way in the indicated direction. Gerhardt was hoping they'd have good luck in their search. Lord knew they'd need it.


	57. Chapter 57

_Hi everyone. Sorry for the mix up with Chapter 57. I accidently submitted chapter 56 twice (ooops!) Here's the real chapter 57. I hope you like it. I'm sorry that it's so short._

_Susanne_

The food at this camp was pretty much the same as the other camp they'd been at. Chris guessed it was kind of like hospital food. Awful, no matter where you got it. Their platters as full as they could stand, the four moved over to an empty table. Immediately the map came out and they began to pour over it. True to his word, the guardsman had located everything they needed to know.

They were so intent on what they were doing that they didn't notice the two men coming up beside them. "Hello there," Nick stated once they were close enough.

Pleasantly surprised, Chris stood up and gave the man a hug. Shocked by the impulsive nature of her actions, she stepped back immediately and turned beet red. The men in the group laughed. They didn't think they'd ever seen her so incredibly embarrassed.

"It's good to see you too," Nick quipped. "I thought I'd never see you guys again. What are you doing here?"

"We're searching for unregistered camps and for Chris's brother. Her mother got a report that he's up in these hills somewhere," Roy responded. He was happy to see the man. He honestly thought the others were dead or long gone.

"Need any help?" Nick was bored to death in the camp. He'd helped everywhere that he could but there was only so much going on.

"We're going to be walking," Johnny said. Nick had been helpful on the freeway. He was always willing to have an extra set of hands.

"That's okay. I'm tired of waiting around here for the world to rearrange itself. I've come to the conclusion that that isn't going to happen any time in the next three months. When are you leaving?" Nick asked. He was all ready running through a list of things he was going to need in his mind. There was nothing like a good hike to get the blood pumping again.

"In forty five minutes," Ponch said. He thought the idea of having another person in the group was probably a good one, especially if it was someone who knew how to fire a gun.

"Great, I'll be back in a few minutes. What about you, Thom, ready to do some hiking?" Nick had turned to the man lurking behind him.

"Sure, why not," Thomas the actor replied. He and Nick had stayed together once they landed in this camp. Neither of them knew anyone else here and so just naturally stuck together. They were relieved to see familiar faces.

"Okay, we'll be back. Don't leave without us!" With that the two men left the tent.

"Are we getting to be too large a group?" Chris asked. She was happy to see the two men and more than willing to have them along, she was just wondering.

"The more the merrier," Johnny answered, a grin on his face.


	58. Chapter 58

_Hi everyone. I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Now that the weekend is over and the family stuff is out of the way I should be able to get back to writing. I sure hope so anyway. I hope you enjoy it. I'm sorry there hasn't been much action of late but that will change, I promise!_

_Susanne_

"So, what happened with the others?" Johnny asked when the duo returned. They each had a back pack with a bedroll strapped to their backs. Conspicuously slung over their shoulders were two canteens each.

"Sam was kept in the hospital for a few hours then he was sent to where the CHP and LAPD are keeping the trouble makers. Helen found one of her neighbours and is staying with them until the governor figures out what to do with all the displaced people. I'm not sure where Paul wound up, I've seen him a couple of times but haven't had a chance to talk to him," Nick replied. Thomas stood quietly by.

"I'm glad Helen found someone she knew," Chris said. Mention of the other Paul was making her feel a little homesick. "Are we ready to leave?"

"Any time. From this map, I figure we'll follow the ridge above the camp and head north," Johnny suggested.

"Sounds good, besides, that's pretty much what Captain Stanley told Battalion anyway. For some reason they want to make sure they don't lose us this time," Roy said.

Without any further discussion, the group stood up and headed outside the tent toward the hills beyond.

XXXXX

The landscape was both desolate and beautiful. Chris thought that she would have really been enjoying the hike if it weren't for the circumstances. As it was, she concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and trying to keep up. She trusted the others to keep an eye out and conduct the search, she just wanted to make sure that she wasn't a burden. Johnny, Roy and Ponch were leading the way. Chris was in the center with Nick and Thomas bringing up the rear.

They had been hiking for three hours and had covered about five miles. The terrain was uneven and at times choked with underbrush. When they could they went around the worst of the areas. After all, if the brush was too thick for them to get through it, chances were pretty good no one had built a camp either. At least not a camp big enough for their purposes.

"How are you doing?" Roy asked when she caught up with him.

"I'm getting a little tired. How are you doing?" Chris responded. She'd noticed that the eldest paramedic was moving a bit slower. As they walked together, the man tried to hide the pill bottle Dr. Brackett had forced him to take with him. Trying not to watch, she still saw Roy fish a pill out, pop it in 

his mouth and take a swallow from his canteen. Distantly she wished there was a pill she could take that would make her feel better.

"I'm fine. I think we're running out of daylight though. We might want to think about looking for a place to spend the night," Roy replied. They'd started out early enough but the helicopter ride and eating had taken up a good chunk of time. Walking along the ridge afforded them a wonderful view but it also made them highly visible. For reasons he couldn't quite fathom, Roy found the idea disconcerting.

"I'm sure Ponch and Johnny have thought of that," Chris said. The area they were currently walking through had been ravaged by the fires after the earthquake. The ground was black and all forms of fuel had long since burned. It didn't really lend itself to a place to take shelter. For as far as she could see the landscape looked pretty much the same. She had no idea how long they would have to walk to find a place to spend the night. She hoped it wasn't as far as it seemed.


	59. Chapter 59

The search took longer than any of them had anticipated. The burned landscape had left very little. They were finally reduced to using flashlights as the sun began to sink below the horizon.

"What about this?" Nick called. They'd spread out in the dark to search. Nick had selected the far right location for himself. He'd ranged down the side of the ridge they'd been following. There had been pretty much a lot of nothing until he noticed a dark hole beyond his flashlight beam.

Abandoning their searches, the others moved toward the area Nick had indicated. They found a fairly large burrow in the side of the ridge. It wasn't particularly deep but it would afford them cover for the night.

"Perfect," Johnny replied as he panned his flashlight over the cave. It wouldn't protect them from a huge storm such as they'd experienced a few days ago but that didn't seem to be a problem tonight.

Within minutes they were all situated inside the cave. Being overly protective, Ponch had insisted Chris be in the spot farthest from the door. Just in case something or someone came at them in the night. He wasn't really expecting anyone to but it was always a good idea to take precautions.

Once they'd each found their spots, they rummaged through their packs and pulled out c rations. The food from this afternoon was nothing but a dim memory at this point. Despite the bland taste of what Chris had chosen her stomach growled loudly after her second mouthful.

"How far do you think we've come?" Chris asked between mouthfuls.

"Not far enough," Ponch responded. "We still have a very large area to cover. Tomorrow should be a better day though."

"Yeah, this cave is east facing. Once the sun comes up I don't think that any of us will be sleeping. It's likely to get very hot in here in a hurry," Nick stated.

"That's okay. I was going to suggest we set out at sunrise. This time of year there isn't as much sunlight as I'd like. We'll have to make the most of it while we can," Johnny said.

"I'll take first watch," Ponch said. He'd wolfed down his ration. He could have eaten two or three more but the food they had had to last for a while. To distract himself from his rumbling tummy, he took up a position at the mouth of the cave.

"Wake me for second watch," Johnny chimed in. With a quick shake he settled his bedroll on the ground and began to climb in. It was probably only 8:30pm but he was tired. Besides, there wasn't much to do in the dark.

"I'll take third watch," Thomas said as he too settled on top of his bedroll.

"I'll take fourth watch," Nick added.

"I can take a watch too," Roy stated. He'd rather sleep but he wasn't going to tell any of the others that.

"Sure, I'll wake you after my watch is over," Nick said. In truth he had no intention of waking the paramedic up. Even in the dim light of the flash lights he could see how very tired the man was. Roy was going to need as much sleep as they could allow him.

"Thanks." No longer hungry, Roy put his ration down beside his bedroll and carefully settled in. He was very aware of some of the others watching and so kept very tight control of what showed on his face. The last thing he wanted was to get special treatment or to slow them down.

Chris considered volunteering for a watch but decided there would be more watches tomorrow. Besides, given the men's archaic views on women she wasn't entirely sure they'd let her anyway. It was better to give them a few days of wearing themselves out covering the watches before she asked. That way they may be more inclined to let her.

Within minutes silence fell over the camp.

Chris lay on her blankets waiting to fall asleep. Exhaustion burned through her body and yet she was unable to relax enough to let unconsciousness take over. Minutes ticked by with the only sound being the occasional rustle of fabric, a cough or two and quiet snores. At the front of the cave she could hear Ponch moving around as he scanned the area.

More minutes ticked by. Still sleep was elusive. Sighing, she rolled onto her side, facing the entrance. In the darkness she could see the CHP officer's silhouette. Closing her eyes didn't really help.

"Are you awake?" Roy whispered beside her.

"Yeah, as tired as I am, I can't sleep. How about you?" she said into the darkness.

"My ribs aren't real fond of the ground," Roy admitted. Cautiously he forced himself up into a sitting position and then shimmied back until his back rested up against the wall of the cave.

"Maybe you should have stayed at camp," Chris said. As much as she enjoyed the man's company, even in the dark she could tell how much pain he was in. The bottle of pills rattled then she heard him swallowing a few mouthfuls of water.

"Maybe. But that wasn't really an option I was willing to consider." Silence fell between the two. Minutes more ticked by. "Can I ask you a question?"

Fear spiked through Chris's system. She didn't like to talk about herself. Then her stubborn streak reared. "Sure, what would you like to know?"

"I have a lot of questions but I guess the most pressing one is how do you know so much about first aid?" Roy asked. Talking distracted him from his discomfort while he waited for the pain killers to kick in.

"Oh," Chris said. In the dark her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. "Well, you see, I trained as a veterinary assistant. Luckily there really isn't a lot of difference between humans and animals once you get beneath the skin."

"You trained on animals?" Roy couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. Chris seemed too competent working on humans for that to be true.

"Yeah, I did. Now you know why I didn't volunteer that information. Anyone with any intelligence wouldn't have let me touch them if they knew," Chris said.

"All I can say is I was thrilled to meet you back at the ambulance. I knew I was way over my head," she finished.

"Wow," Roy responded. It took a moment for the implications to sink in. "I can see why you didn't tell anyone. That also helps to explain why you're so uncomfortable around people sometimes. You're not used to dealing with them as much as you are animals."

"Guilty as charged. How's the pain?" It was a lamb attempt to change the subject but it was all she could come up with.

"Better," was the quiet reply. It wasn't really but he told her what he knew she was hoping to hear.

"Maybe we'd better try to get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow," Chris suggested. She still wasn't sleepy but it was a valid excuse.

"You're right," Roy responded. Against his better judgment, Roy forced his protesting body back onto the dirt. It was going to be a long night. That didn't bode well for the day that followed. Heaving a deep sigh, his head hit his backpack and he was asleep in a heartbeat or two. Chris was right behind him. Her body had finally given in.


	60. Chapter 60

_Hi everyone. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long. I was experiencing computer difficulties. Hopefully now they're resolved and I can get on with the story._

_Susanne_

The morning dawned clear and bright. Sunlight shone into the cave mouth, illuminating Nick as he kept watch. Nothing had come in the night. For that he was thankful. He wasn't sure they'd be up to beating off a bear or a mountain lion if one had come. But then, Ponch was probably carrying his gun so they might have been okay. Anyway, he was glad they hadn't had to test that theory.

The young criminalist knew Roy was going to be mad at him for not waking him up for his turn at watch. Nick figured the older man could use the rest more than him. Besides, he knew Roy was in pain from his ribs. He would have had to have been blind to not see the drawn look around the man's blue eyes. Besides, he was actually enjoying watching the sun come up over the crest of the hill to their east. Without the devastation around he could almost convince himself that everything so far had been a dream. Or a nightmare.

"Morning," Ponch grumbled as he pried himself off the dirt floor. His back ached from the hard surface and he still felt tired. All he had to look forward to was another day of climbing up and down hills. For a moment he wondered why he'd volunteered for this job. Then the moment passed.

"Morning," Nick replied. He glanced back at the others. Thomas was showing signs of waking up but Johnny, Roy and Chris still seemed to be sound asleep. May as well let them get their rest while they could.

Ponch groaned quietly as he forced his protesting body up and out of the cave. The air inside the small enclosure was all ready starting to heat up. He wasn't sure how long the others were going to be able to sleep but in the mean time he was going to get something to eat. He wanted to do a little reconnaissance before they started out. He wanted to know what was coming up before they got there, just in case.

With less noise than Ponch had made, Thomas exited the cave. He'd dragged his backpack with him so he could get some food. He felt better than he had for days. At least he was doing something. Even if that something was tramping up and down hills. It was better than sitting around camp, waiting for help to arrive or for something to happen. Anything at all. Life in the camps was boring and stifling. Cheerfully, he ripped into the first C ration he found.

Johnny was the next to wake. Startled, he sat up quickly and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. That was the hardest thing he'd found so far. Waking up and not know where he was. How he yearned for his apartment. Swearing under his breath, he checked on Chris and Roy visually before joining the others outside.

"How are you all today?" he asked as he stretched his kinked back.

The three men nodded that they were okay. Ponch and Thomas were devouring their rations while Nick continued to keep watch. He wasn't going to allow anyone to relieve him until everyone was awake.

"What are our plans?" Johnny asked. He crouched down to rummage through his pack. Geez, he was hungry.

"Breakfast. Then we'll see," Ponch replied. Finished his ration, he stashed the wrapper in his backpack. "I'm going to go have a look around. I'll be back in a little while." Without waiting for anyone's opinion, he set out toward the north.

"Okay," Johnny muttered under his breath. Following the man's instructions, he set about devouring his ration. Munching away, he looked around at the others. Everyone seemed to be no worse for wear. For that he was thankful. Then he looked at Roy and Chris who still seemed to be asleep. Well, almost everyone.

Roy had heard the others get up. He was trying to ignore the pain. He was getting very tired of being in pain. Who knew that broken ribs hurt so damned much? Grumbling under his breath, he took another pill and had a swig of water. Unconsciously, he glanced at Chris. The woman's brown eyes were studying him closely.

"Good morning," Roy said. There was something in those brown depths that kind of made him squirm. He wasn't quite sure what it was and he really didn't feel much like pursuing it.

"How many of those have you taken today?" Chris responded.

"This is my second one including the one I took last night," Roy countered. He knew she meant well but the thought that the woman was checking up on him irritated him to no end. Roy wasn't sure if that was because he now knew where she got her medical knowledge from or not. "I'm being careful."

"Okay. Sorry, I'm just a bit of a control freak. I'm not trying to say that you're unable to take care of yourself because I know better," Chris said. Desperately looking for a change of subject, she added. "Let's get some breakfast before the others are ready to leave without us."

"Sounds like a plan," was all Roy could come up with.


	61. Chapter 61

"Okay," Ponch said once he huffed back into camp. Climbing the hills was getting harder the further they went. "There's a camp about a mile away but they've been contacted by the National Guard. We can go there to get supplies, including water. Beyond that I found a path. I think it used to be a hiking trail but now it's been run over by a good number of motor bikes. I couldn't tell which kind but it seems the most likely direction for us to follow."

"Is the first camp still in touch with the National Guard?" Nick asked.

"Yes. They have a radio link set up to coordinate supply shipments and medical attention," Ponch replied.

"That's good. We could send a message to Battalion and let them know where we are and what direction we're headed in. Just in case," Johnny said. He'd feel better if someone were looking out for them. He had a feeling that things weren't going to be safe where they were headed.

"I didn't call Battalion but I did let my sergeant know where we are and what our travel plans are," Ponch stated. He had the same feeling. After talking to the people in charge of the camp he knew that not all of the camps were run as democratically. There were stories of people being held in camps against their will and other stories that he didn't want to think about. Without thought, he glanced in Chris's direction. He hoped that her brother wasn't in one of those types of camps, for his sake as well as theirs.

"Well, let's head out," Chris stated. There was something different about Ponch since he came back. Not all of the news he'd received had been good news. If it was something he'd wanted to share with all of them then he would have all ready. Sighing, Chris repacked her backpack and stood up. They'd see what was going on once they got there. Worrying about it now wasn't going to make it any better. All it would do was upset her stomach. Not something she felt like dealing with at the moment.

With Ponch in the lead, the group set out through the hills. The going was tough. None of them had much in the form of physical reserves after what they'd survived so far. They were forced to take more breaks than any of them would have preferred.

About mid morning they stood above the first camp Ponch had found. It was little more than a small group of tents in the valley of two hills. There were probably less than one hundred residents. It was hard to get an exact count from the ridge. Ponch waved at a man, who'd come out of one of the tents on the edge of camp, before continuing along the ridge. Several yards away they came upon the hiking trail.

"You're right," Johnny said. "It looks like a lot of motorcycles had gone over this trail and recently."

"Yeah, that's the feeling I got as well. We'll follow it and see where it leads," Ponch replied. With that he set off again to see where the trail took them.

XXXXX

Mid afternoon came and went. The group was still trudging through the hills, their legs and feet aching from the exercise. There had been no sign of the trail ending. There was also no other sign of people. They'd spied the occasional deer, fox and coyote but that was it.

As the day wore on they turned their attention to finding a place to spend the night. The hills they were moving through were primarily covered with scrub brush. It wasn't going to protect them from the elements at all. They would have to find something different.

The sun was getting lower in the sky. Johnny wished that they'd find something soon. There were mountain lions in these hills and he didn't really want to meet one in the dark. Besides, it would be nice to not be searching with flashlights again.

"This may be as good as it gets," Ponch announced. He'd found a clearing several feet away. The hiking trail ran by it. It didn't really afford any shelter but it would give them a more comfortable place to rest.

"Okay, "Johnny responded. "Maybe some of us should stay here and the others spread out to look a little bit more. It's a little too close to the trail for my liking."

Without a word, Thomas, Nick, Ponch and Johnny set out. Chris and Roy were left back at the clearing. The fact that they just assumed that she was incapable of searching too kind of burned Chris. Then she looked a little closer at Roy. The paramedic's face was white and slick with sweat. Cautiously, he settled himself down on the ground, a pack behind his back. If the others wanted to keep looking, he wasn't going to try to stop them.

Silently, Chris settled in a few feet away from him. The man really was entirely too independent. To distract herself, she rummaged around in her backpack for a moment or two.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Roy said into the silence. He'd been feeling badly about reacting the way he did. The woman had been nothing but helpful the entire time they'd known each other. He needed to stop feeling inferior because of his injury and just get on with things.

"You don't have to be sorry," Chris responded. "You're frustrated. I can certainly understand that. Lord knows I would be too."

"That doesn't excuse bad behaviour." Roy DeSoto was many things, but always a gentleman first. His parents had taught him well.

"Do you think they'll find someplace better?" Chris asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure. I'm not really sure. This isn't an area of Los Angeles County that I'm used to dealing with," Roy responded. He'd been lost shortly after leaving the ridge above the camp. He knew what direction they were going in and where they'd end up eventually. All the ground in between was a mystery to him.

Silence fell between them again as they continued to wait. Roy broke down and popped another of the painkillers. It was only the third one he'd taken in the last 24 hours. He didn't want the others to be forced to carry him and he didn't want to risk O.D.ing so far from civilization.

Chris pretended to not notice as Roy took a swig of water to wash down the pill. She figured it was a good thing that he was even bothering to take them. Having a bit of a stubborn nature, she wasn't sure he would have.

Gradually, the others returned to the clearing. None of them had found anything better. Ponch moved them further off the trail, among some of the taller bushes. The sun sank below the horizon just as they were eating their suppers. The watches were distributed among the four men. Roy didn't even bother to feel slighted. The pill and food were combining to make him feel very tired. Chris didn't waste the energy either. She lay down beside a prone Roy and settled in for the night. A few heartbeats later she was sound asleep.


	62. Chapter 62

XXXXX

The night passed quietly. The four men still took their turns at watch, just in case. Nick was the last one on watch. The others were situated among the bushes. Somehow sleeping out in the clearing had felt too exposed, even Chris and Roy had moved in the night. Nick sat on the ground a short distance away. He had his back against a trunk and was able to keep watch over the trail and anything coming from the west and east. He checked behind him every once in a while but he wasn't really all that concerned about anyone coming from the south.

The sun was just bringing colour to the horizon when Nick thought he heard something in the distance. He wasn't quite sure what it was at first. In the days since the earthquake, he'd quickly become accustomed to the silence of the world without motorized vehicles. The helicopters had seemed incredibly, painfully loud. The sound was getting closer, the longer he listened to it.

Alarmed, Nick moved over to where Ponch and Thomas were sleeping. Quietly, he shook Ponch's shoulder. The officer was instantly awake. With questions in his eyes, he looked at the young criminalist, waiting for him to explain. Then he too heard the sound of an engine.

In moments, everyone was awake, their packs on their backs, crouching among the shrubs to see what was coming. The motor was getting louder with each passing moment. Chris thought it might burst her ear drums with its noise.

Then the largest motorcycle she'd ever seen burst past the shrubs as it followed the trail. Sitting on the motorcycle was a husky man with a jean jacket, jeans and a big black helmet on his head. Evidently he wasn't expecting anyone because he didn't even bother to check the clearing as he passed it. As he began to disappear behind the shrubs at the other end, Ponch noticed a large emblem on the back of his jacket. His heart sank.

"Was that what I thought it was?" Thomas asked in a whisper. He'd seen it too and it sent chills down his spine. They were in a lot of trouble if Chris's brother and other survivors were in the camp where the rider had come from.

"I'm afraid so," Ponch replied. He waited several seconds before settling back onto the ground. No one else appeared to be coming.

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked.

"The logo on the back of the rider's jacket, it represents one of the toughest bike gangs in Los Angeles. I wondered why we hadn't heard more about them trying to take power, steal supplies and the like. If they're up here; that would go a long way toward explaining it," Ponch said. He was scanning their immediate area, trying to decide what to do. Following the trail would be the fastest route but it would also be the way to get caught.

"Do you think they have my brother?" Chris asked. Her heart was in her throat. She had no idea at all how to deal with any of this. There weren't too many street gangs in Saskatchewan, at least not that she was aware of.

"I have no idea. We'll have to wait and see," was all Ponch was willing to commit to.

"I think we might be significantly under armed," Thomas breathed to himself. He glanced around to see if anyone had noticed what he'd said. Luckily, no one had.

"Well, we're not going to accomplish anything by sitting here," Ponch announced. "The trail is still the fastest way to get around. The one advantage we have over the riders is that we can hear them coming. If we hear a motor, we'll get in the bushes."

"Is this really necessary?" Chris asked.

"Do you want to reach your brother in one piece?" Nick countered. "Hopefully the precautions will be for nothing. But we'd better not take chances."

"I agree. Let's head out. We'll stop in an hour or so to eat breakfast," Ponch said. Nodding agreement, the group cautiously stood up and made their way to the trail. Ponch glanced up and down it, even though he couldn't hear any motors. So far so good. They headed down the path as fast as they could manage.

XXXXX

An hour later they were still moving. Even though they hadn't heard anything to indicate there was another motorcycle around but they still felt the need to cover as much ground as they could, as fast as they could. Chris and Roy were having trouble keeping up with the others. They were in better shape and weren't injured. Johnny kept watching to make sure they didn't get too far ahead. The other three were chomping at the bit, though, and were hard to convince to slow down.

"I thought we were going to stop to eat," Chris said breathlessly. It was all she could do to keep up with Roy. She didn't want to get lost at all. That was the last thing she'd need.

"I know. I'll slow down if you want me to," Roy answered. In truth, he would appreciate the excuse to walk slower.

"I don't want to be responsible for getting us lost," Chris replied. Up ahead, she could see Johnny standing on the side of the trail, waiting for them to catch up. The others were several feet ahead and still moving. She could tell by the disgusted look on the young paramedic's face that their continuing on hadn't been his idea.

Silently, the two of them plodded on until they finally came up beside Johnny. Ponch, Nick and Thomas were quite a ways ahead all ready. They could just barely be seen going around a bend in the trail.

"They've decided to scout ahead," Johnny stated. He was trying to keep his disgust out of his voice and off his face. He wasn't entirely successful.

"They'll come back if they find anything, right?" Roy asked. He knew they were getting frustrated. He just hoped splitting up wasn't as bad an idea as it seemed.

"That's what Ponch said. Do you need a rest?" Johnny asked. He could see how tired the two were. He couldn't say he really blamed them. He was starting to run down too.

For several feet around them all there was for shelter were very short bushes. Even if they sat on their butts they weren't going to be able to hide in the foliage. Somehow staying hidden seemed like a very good idea. Stopping right here, did not.

"I'm okay for a little while yet," Chris offered.

"Yeah, me too. Let's go until we find some taller cover," Roy stated.


	63. Chapter 63

_Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that I may not be able to post again until next week. I'm going away for the weekend and there won't be any internet. I will, however, still be writing so I should have quite a bit to post come Monday or Tuesday. Have a great weekend, I know I will!_

_Susanne_

_P.S. to anonymous. I'm sorry you feel that way. Things have been moving slowly for the last few chapters but that will change very soon. As far as becoming 'Mary Sue-ish', I'm really not sure what that means._

They trudged on. Their energy was being zapped by the continual climb. Even Johnny was showing signs of fatigue by the time they reached the top of the hill. Breathing heavily, trying to recover as quickly as possible, the small group was stunned by the sound of an engine behind them.

"Let's get under cover," Johnny suggested quietly as he quickly made his way off the trail and to their right where more shrubs were visible. Without a word, the other two followed behind him. Chris looked over her shoulder to see if they'd been too late but she couldn't see the source of the sound. Maybe they were okay yet.

Under as much cover as they could find, the three of them lay on their stomachs and watched to see what would come along the trail. Sure enough, a few minutes later they saw a husky man on a motorcycle drive by. As near as Chris could tell it was the same man from earlier. This time, she paid more attention to the insignia on the back of his jean jacket. It was large and would be impressive to look at closer but while the man was moving it was very hard to ascertain any real details.

"I hope the others hear him coming," Roy said.

"It's hard to miss it," Chris stated.

They waited for a few minutes to make sure he wasn't coming back. Then they stood up and crept through the undergrowth parallel to the trail. For some reason, none of them were really all that eager to step out of cover completely yet. It slowed their progress but that was all right.

Two hours later as they slogged through shrubs and other greenery, the group heard that mechanical sound again. Only this time the sound was multiplied. By a lot. Ducking down again, the three of them watched as several motorcycles wheeled down the trail. All of the people riding the motors were tough looking and even from this distance they could see the weapons some of them were packing.

"Oh, shit," Johnny said. The motors were headed toward the camp they'd seen earlier in the day.

"Should we try to warn them?" Chris whispered. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were planning to do. Supplies were running low at the camp the bikers were from and they were heading out to find some more. By force if necessary.

"We'll wait for them to pass before we try the handy talkie," Roy replied in a quiet voice. Fear was spiking through his system. Suddenly coming out here the way they had didn't seem like such a good idea.

The parade of motorcycles seemed to take a very long time but in actuality it was probably only two or three minutes. The number of motorcycles was astounding. Where they were finding the gasoline to run the vehicles alone was anyone's guess. But then, Chris decided they probably didn't really want to know.

Finally, the last vehicle passed by them. By silent, mutual consent, the three of them stayed hidden for a few more minutes. Then Johnny pulled out the handy talkie and tried to get hold of the base camp Ponch had visited. It took longer than he would have liked but eventually he got through and sent along the warning.

"Let's go find the others," Johnny said as he carefully stood up.


	64. Chapter 64

_This will probably be my last posting until next week. Depends on how ambition I feel tonight. I'm grateful for all the comments I've received recently. I'm not willing to delete anonymous reviews because I believe everyone's opinion is valid. I'm also not afraid of bad reviews, they help me write better. Thank you to E!lf for the information. As you've noticed I'm definitely a novice and appreciate any direction I can get. I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one writing myself into stories. I really thought I was a bit of a freak or full of myself. Since I don't want to be either, I'm very happy to find out otherwise. Thank you also to Wendy and the other people continuing to review my story. I'm glad that you've stuck with me. This is the first live story I've ever written. I'm having the time of my life!_

_Thanks again._

_Susanne _

The appearance of the motorcycles had instilled them with renewed strength. The trio covered the distance to where the other three were hiding along the edge of a ridge in record time. The others were lying on their stomachs under some dense brush, spying on a small encampment in the bottom of the valley.

"What's going on?" Johnny asked quietly as he moved up beside Ponch. The CHP officer was intently observing the camp.

"From what I can tell, this camp is controlled by those bikers that just left. They've only left a skeleton crew to watch the other survivors while they looked like they were ready for heavy battle," Ponch replied without looking at the young paramedic. His skin was crawling. Something about this whole situation wasn't quite right. But then, what had been right about the situations they'd found themselves in during the last few days.

"What do you think we should do?" Roy asked. He was completely out of his depth here. Below he saw a small encampment of tents and a few campers. The valley had been carved out of the earth by a gently flowing stream. The stream had meandered its way along the valley bottom until it created a fairly large level area. That was where the encampment had grown. There were still a few motorbikes around and probably five or six burly, scary looking men wandering between the tents and vehicles. There did not appear to be any civilians among the tents though.

"I've been watching the site for a couple of hours now. I thought that maybe it was just bikers. Then I saw a small child slip out underneath one of the tent flaps. The child was caught and taken back to the tent it had come from but not before I saw a few other people inside. I think the civilians are being held hostage," Ponch concluded.

"Should we contact Battalion and let them know what's going on?" Johnny asked.

"I've all ready contacted CHP headquarters but they can't get any help out here for several hours. Apparently brush fires have started up again in areas LAFD thought they were under control. They did say something about sending some National Guardsmen. I'm not holding my breath, though," Ponch stated.

"We've been checking around on the other sides. There are definitely people being held here," Thomas supplied. "One of them kind of looks like you."


	65. Chapter 65

_I'm back. This is a longer instalment. I may have been out in the valley enjoying country music (in the mud) but thanks to a laptop, I was still able to write. I hope you enjoy it._

_Susanne_

Chris's stomach sank down around her ankles. If there was someone who looked like her, it would have to be her brother. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Was it a man?" Better safe than sorry.

"Yeah, he was taller than you, thinner and had a really short hair cut. I think his hair was dark brown or black," Thomas replied.

That had to be him! Please let him be okay.

"How did he look?" She dreaded the answer but she had to know.

"It's hard to tell from this distance but I think he was okay," Thomas said.

"Where was he?" Ponch asked. He hadn't seen anyone that looked anything like Chris.

Thomas moved to a different position along the edge of the ridge. He couldn't see what he was looking for from the position he had been in before. Finally, he located the building.

"There's several people being held in that wooden structure," Thomas stated, indicating which one he meant.

As a group, they all studied the wooden shed. It looked like it had been hastily erected by someone who wasn't a carpenter. There were no windows but there were numerous gaps in the walls. None of the gaps were big enough for a child to slide through much less an adult. If they watched closely enough, they could just barely make out the occasional person moving around inside.

"How do we get them out?" Chris asked. All she wanted to do was run down the embankment over to the structure and rip the door open. There had to be a door, right?

"We may be able to help you with that," a strange voice said from a few feet away. The group became completely still. 'Had they been found out?' was the thought on everyone's minds. Ponch was the first person to turn toward the voice after he recovered from his second of shock.

Four men dressed in military fatigues were crouched within two yards of the group. They seemed vaguely familiar but what mattered the most at the moment was that they weren't bikers. "Who are you?" Ponch asked.

"I believe you were told about getting help from National Guardsmen? Well, here we are," the leader said. Now that he could connect the voice with the body Ponch realized where he'd seen these men before. They were the ones that had rescued them from the clinic. Relief passed through his body.

Now that they weren't wearing goggles and masks, Ponch could see that the leader was a tall, powerfully built black man. He had a presence that would have made him stand out in a crowd. The tallest man was white with short dark hair and blue eyes. There was no insignia or name tags on any of their uniforms. The other two men were further away, intently watching their surroundings. The furthest one was also white and had a ruddy complexion and short dark blond hair. What his eye color was was anyone's guess because he had his head turned away from the group. The last man appeared to be of Latin descent. He had the dark hair and dark eyes. As well, his complexion was darker than the other two men.

They were all dressed in military camouflage fatigues. Heavily laden back packs were strapped to their backs. Ponch figured they looked like they weighed fifty pounds at least. Each man wore a pair of military boots on their feet. Ponch wondered absently what kind of traction they got with those. They were also heavily armed.

"Well?" the leader asked. He'd turned his attention back to the camp below them.

"Yes, you're right. We were told about you coming, I just didn't hear you moving up on us at all," Ponch responded. The others in the group were silent, suddenly feeling exposed with these strange men so easily able to sneak up on them.

"Well, we wouldn't be very good at what we do if you could, would we?" the leader responded, a slight grin on his lips.

"No, I guess not. You're the same group that rescued us from the clinic, aren't you?" Ponch asked.

"We rescued a lot of people that day," was the leader's reply. He wasn't willing to commit to anything.

"What are your names or should I just give you some?" Ponch asked. The man's superior attitude was starting to grate on his nerves. Who cared that they were able to sneak up on people like stalking cats?

"You can call me Mr. Black," the leader replied. There was an odd twinkle in his dark brown eyes. "Beside me are Mr. Blue, Mr. Brown and Mr. Grey."

Ponch doubted very much that that was the men's real names but it didn't really matter. What mattered was getting the people below out of the encampment before the bikers came back. "Fine. How do you want to do this?" Ponch asked.

"Just follow our lead. My people will go in first, you bring up the rear and let the civilians out," Mr. Black responded. He glanced over the group of people to size them up. He paused when he came upon Chris but he didn't say a word or let any sort of emotion touch his face. "Ready?"

XXXXX

The Guardsmen set a gruelling pace down the side of the valley. Chris and Roy had trouble keeping up as they scrambled through bushes and low growing trees. Soon the two were at the end of the line and getting left further behind. Roy was trying to keep up but the jostling his ribs were taking just wouldn't let him. There was a time or two when he thought he was going to pass out from the pain ripping through his side.

Chris was feeling very inadequate as she stumbled down the valley wall behind Roy. She wasn't used to the downward angle and was having trouble not falling on her face. When she finally did take the time to glance up, all she could see was Roy's back. The others were gone. Panic flashed through her mind. What if they were captured? Then she saw a form materialize out of the trees. Fear spiked again until she realized that it was Mr. Blue.

"We don't want you two getting lost now, do we?" Mr. Blue said in a quiet voice. Chris was about to take great offense to the man's attitude until she looked closer into his eyes. He wasn't trying to be superior, he genuinely cared that they not get separated from the group.

"Thanks," was all she could think to say. Roy nodded at the man before continuing down the slope. He hated not being at a hundred percent. He was too used to doing all these things without a thought to how strenuous they were. The senior paramedic didn't think he'd take his health for granted again anytime soon.

After a hellish scramble down the slope, the group gathered together again in a line of bushes just outside the camp. The four Guardsmen huddled together while Mr. Black gave out orders. Then they headed out in different directions.

"Wait for our signal," was the last thing Mr. Black said to the group before he followed his men out into the bushes.

"What signal?" Johnny grumbled to himself. He didn't really like the men coming in and taking over but he had to admit that he had no experience at planning and executing a raid. If he wanted them all to come back in one piece, he'd better let the men do what they were trained to do. As he waited for the 'signal', he glanced at his partner. Even in the shadow among the shrubs, he could tell that Roy was struggling still. It tore at his heart to see his partner this crippled up. Usually when bad things happened they happened to Johnny, not Roy. After this situation, Johnny had decided that was the way he preferred it. It hurt him too much to see Roy in so much pain.

Even as these thoughts made their way through his brain, Johnny watched at Roy popped another of the pills into his mouth and took a quick swallow of water. Self-consciously, Roy slid the pills back into his jacket pocket.

Johnny opened his mouth to ask Roy how he was doing. As if reading his mind, Roy turned to him. "Don't worry, I'm fine," he said in a low voice.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Roy responded. He was just hoping desperately that the pills would take effect before the signal came.

"Is this really a good idea?" Chris asked no one in particular. She was crouched beside Ponch, eagerly scanning the wooden structure to try to spy her brother. While the men were probably well trained, she didn't know them except for a brief encounter at the clinic. She wasn't so sure she would trust them with her brother's life. Or the life of the other people held in the camp. But then, she certainly didn't trust their lives to her own skills either.

"I don't know," Ponch responded. "But I don't see any other options popping out of the bushes."

XXXXX

The group crouched in the bushes for what felt like an eternity. Ponch was beginning to wonder if they'd missed the signal when a giant explosion ripped through the far corner of the camp.

The concussive force of the displaced air set every one of them on their butts. Ponch and Nick were the fastest to recover. Grabbing hold of the people closest to them, they got everyone on their feet. Then they were all running toward the wooden structure. For once Chris wasn't at the back of the group. Fear and adrenaline added to her step.

She didn't dare to look anywhere but at the structure. Just in case there were bikers skulking about among the tents and RV's. Her heart was in her mouth as she covered the distance in what felt like agonizing slowness. Chris could have sworn she was running through molasses for all the headway she was making.

Then she was there, standing beside the wall of the wooden structure. Through the gaps in the wall she could just see people moving around but in the darkness she couldn't see faces. "Paul?" she called out softly.

By now the others had caught up to her, even Roy. Ponch, Thomas and Nick circled the shed, trying to find the way in. Chris waited with her heart in her throat.

"Chris?" a familiar voice called from inside the building. Her heart started beating again. "What are you doing here? They'll be back any time. You'd better get out of here while you can."

"I've come all this way to find you. I'm not leaving you here," Chris replied to her brother. All the tension she'd been carrying since the earthquake was beginning to melt. Not a good thing. She could all ready feel exhaustion creeping over her.

"I've found the door," Ponch called out. There was a great cracking sound as the CHP officer forced the door off its hinges. It sounded especially loud to all of the people huddled together. The threat of the bikers hung thick in the air. "Let's go before they figure out what's going on."

Hesitantly at first, the people in the shed began to step out. Paul was one of the first ones. He practically ran around the building until he reached his sister. Unabashedly he pulled his younger sister into a bear hug.

Chris thought her ribs were going to break with the force of her brother's embrace but she didn't mind. It just felt so good to know he was okay and to have him with her again. There was a cough behind Paul's back. Suddenly self-conscious, the two separated and turned to face the rest of their rescuers.

"We've got to go. Now," Ponch said. Without waiting for an answer, the CHP officer headed back toward the bushes they'd been hiding in. In a ragged line, the rescued civilians and the original group fell in behind and tried to keep up.

XXXXX

By the time the entire group reached the bushes the four National Guardsmen were back. Once Mr. Black was satisfied that they had everyone, they headed back up the valley wall. It was a long journey. Most of the people they'd rescued were hungry and dehydrated. Apparently the bikers had been afraid of a raid for a few days and had been keeping them inside the shed for some time.

Up ahead of where she climbed with her brother and Roy, Chris noticed Mr. Blue. The man appeared to be limping but he wasn't letting it stop him at all. She glanced at her brother and then the paramedic to see if they'd noticed the same thing. From the look on their faces they had.

Half way up the valley wall the group heard the sound of the motorcycles returning. Mr. Black came scrambling back down the hill. "Stop where you are and stay silent," he ordered on his way by.

They almost listened to what he said. They moved over to the nearest large clump of vegetation and hid among it before they stopped. Johnny, Roy, Chris, Paul and Mr. Blue were all huddled within the green leaves of some shrubs while they waited for further orders. The others were all scattered over the trail. Most of them had sought shelter as well.

The sound of the motorcycles got louder as they crested the hill.

XXXXX

Mr. Black moved along the line of people, checking to make sure everyone was all right. He paused at Mr. Blue and talked quietly with him before moving on. A short distance from where Mr. Blue and the others were huddled among the vegetation a young girl was crying softly. Her mother was trying to console her but she was terrified that the bikers were going to get them again.

"Are you all right?"Roy asked Mr. Blue. The man was looking progressively paler the longer they were stationary.

"I'm fine," Mr. Blue replied, not bothering to look at the man as he scanned the area.

"You're bleeding," Paul stated. He'd noticed the darker colour on the man's pant leg. The longer he looked at it, the wider the dark patch got.

"I know," Mr. Blue said.

"I'm a paramedic. Let me look at it," Johnny said. He was all ready moving forward to get in a better position to examine the man.

"Later," Mr. Blue shot back."Stay still and be quiet."

The group settled down and waited. Chris could feel Roy moving around slightly beside her. She figured his ribs were complaining about being pressed against the ground.

Below them in the valley the bikers had reached the camp. They had bags of food and jugs full of water strapped to their motors. Some of them were still a little high on adrenaline and were tearing around the camp hollering and carrying on. The others, however, realized very quickly that something was wrong.

A shout rang out as the first casualty of the Guardsmen was found. Instantly the camp was energized as the men and women made their way through it, checking every tent and RV. The shed was checked by a group of larger men.

"Let's go," Mr. Blue said. He'd received a signal from Mr. Black. As quickly as they could, all of the people scrambled the rest of the way over the ridge. They kept low in an attempt to not stand out as much once they reached the crest. Then they were over it and barrelling down the other side.

At the bottom of the slope, Mr. Black turned the people to their left so they could run along the level ground. He knew where he needed them to be and was trying to get them there as quickly as he could.

Roy, Johnny, Chris, Paul and Mr. Blue had managed to stay together during the headlong race down the slope. Even with her brother with her, Chris felt better when the paramedics were with her. The paramedics weren't going to let Mr. Blue get too far away from them until they'd had a chance to examine him properly. Now that Roy had someone else to worry about his ribs weren't bothering him so much.

The other people from the camp were moving slowly. They hadn't been abused in anyway, just confined. Their clothes were filthy and torn. They kept looking in the direction of the stream with longing in their eyes. But Mr. Black kept pushing them along.

XXXXX

Mr. Brown kept the people moving. Some of the children were beyond exhausted. He and Mr. Grey were forced to pick the smaller ones up and carry them. Mr. Black led the way and Mr. Blue continued to push people along from the middle. Nick, Thomas, and Ponch were doing what they could to help. Some of the weaker people had to be helped to stay on their feet while some of the other 

children were all ready tired and getting a bit cranky. Nick had gathered the four children up and was herding them together as best he could. Thomas and Ponch were working with the other detainees. Between the group of them they managed to keep everyone together and moving at a moderate pace.

Mr. Blue was getting a little frustrated with the paramedics sticking so closely and by extension the two Canadians. He knew he was injured but so far it hadn't interfered with the mission. What might cause problems was the paramedics insisting on examining him.

"Don't you have anything better to do?" he asked Johnny who was closest.

"At the moment, not really," the young paramedic replied. He was keeping a careful watch on everyone in the group, looking for signs of injury. The only one he could see so far was the National Guardsman walking beside him. Even Roy seemed to be feeling better.

"I'm fine," Mr. Blue growled.

"The blood on your leg says otherwise," Roy said. If there wasn't an indication that the bleeding had all ready stopped, Roy would have insisted on stopping now to examine the man.

"It's a graze, nothing more," Mr. Blue said dismissively. He was glad that they didn't usually work with a medic. They were far too easily worried.

"Yeah, well, even grazes can get infected, especially now," Johnny responded.

Chris and Paul were silently following the trio. They didn't have anything to add to the conversation and so chose not to interfere. Usually in excellent physical condition, Paul was finding it hard to keep up with the Guardsmen after his confinement. If he'd had a mouthful or two of water it would make all the difference in the world. So far that didn't appear to be an option. One of the Guardsmen would come after you if you stopped for any reason.

Exhausted, hungry and thirsty, the group continued to make as good of time as they were able. Mr. Black continued to push them just a little bit harder. They had a lot of ground to cover before they reached the landing zone.

XXXXX

"We'll rest here for five minutes," Mr. Black announced.

Several sighs of relief could be heard as the rag tag group found places among the low trees and bushes to sit down. Some of the people were too tired to even bother to do that and simply sat where they stood.

Johnny moved up to where Mr. Black was still keeping watch. The man hadn't let down his vigilance since they'd met him.

"How much further do we have to go?" Johnny asked him. Looking around at the group, he knew that some of them were on the verge of collapsing. There weren't enough of them to carry everyone.

"Not much," was Mr. Black's laconic reply. He didn't bother to look at paramedic. He was too busy watching for evidence that the bikers had followed them. He didn't really think they would. After all, losing the residents of the camp would actually make their lives easier. There would be that many fewer mouths to feed and to give water to. Not to mention that they wouldn't have to worry about being attacked by government forces for holding the residents captive any more. If they chose to continue to raid the surrounding camps that would be their choice and would result in further interference from the government. But surely they knew that all ready.

"Could you be more specific?" Johnny asked. "There's all ready a good ten people here that are dead on their feet. If we don't take the time to let them rest properly and give them something to eat and drink, we're going to be carrying them in pretty short order."

"I'm aware of the situation," Mr. Black stated.

"Are you also aware that one of your own men is injured?" Johnny didn't much like the man's nonchalant attitude toward the rest of them. He couldn't believe that he would treat one of his own men with the same disregard.

A momentary flash of concern crossed the man's face before he could hide it again.

"What are you talking about?" he asked as he finally turned to face the paramedic. He hadn't been made aware than any of his men had been hurt during the raid. But then, unless there was significant damage or lose of blood he supposed they wouldn't bother to tell him.

"Mr. Blue has a wound on his leg. He refuses to let Roy or I examine it so I don't know how bad it really is. Judging from the loss of blood though, I'd say it was more than a graze like he says," Johnny said.

"We'll find a more secure site to rest in the next hour. I'll make sure that it's near the stream so we have fresh water and that Mr. Blue submits to your examination. Will that satisfy you?" Mr. Black asked.

"That will be fine," Johnny replied. Without waiting to see if the man had anything further to say, Johnny returned to where Roy, Chris and Paul were sitting under the branches of a tree.

"I'm going to check on the others, make sure everyone's good to move," he said before setting off again.

Roy tried to force himself up into a standing position so he could join his partner in his duties but he collapsed back onto the ground. Growling under his breath, he pulled his dwindling supply of pain killers out of his pocket and swallowed one. He didn't want to take too many so that he was 

incapacitated but he also wanted to keep as many as he could to give the others if they needed it. Unfortunately even their resupplied kits didn't have much for pain. There were too many regulations about how it should be used and they didn't have anywhere to keep some of them cold. Quietly, Roy sat and waited for the pill to take effect.

"How did you get to be in that camp in the first place?" Chris asked her brother. They'd needed all of their breath for walking and hadn't really had a chance to talk. She handed over her partially full canteen.

It took every ounce of will that Paul possessed to not guzzle down the entire contents of the canteen. Just the smell of the slightly stale water set his dry mouth trying to water. After three mouthfuls, he regretfully handed the water back.

"One of the guys from the conference was from out of town and had set up that camp. He didn't like to stay in hotels and so had brought his RV. When the earthquake hit, the hotel the conference in was heavily damaged and evacuated. I tried to get back to our motel room but there was no way. Apparently that section of Los Angeles has been reduced to rubble," Paul replied. As he described his tail, silent tears began to gather in the corners of his eyes. "I thought you were in the motel. I thought you were dead."

"I know," Chris said, tears in her own eyes. "I thought you were dead too until I talked to Mom a couple of days ago."

"Hank brought me out here because he had food, water and shelter. I wasn't thinking very clearly for a while and he kind of watched over me," Paul said. He'd been grief stricken at the thought that his sister was dead. He also had been overcome with guilt. Chris wouldn't have even been here if he hadn't brought her along.

"Where's Hank now?" Chris asked. She felt awful for what her brother had gone through. She knew the guilt he would have been dealing with. After all, it was a very well developed emotion in her family.

"I don't know. He went out looking for help four days ago. More and more people were coming and we were running out of resources. He was trying to reach one of the other camps around here that had contact with the outside world. Then the bikers showed up. We were unarmed and no match for them. I haven't seen Hank since," Paul replied. "How did you come to be here with paramedics and military men?"

"It's a long story," Chris stated. "I'll tell you later. I think Mr. Black is ready for us to move out again."

XXXXX

The rest of the trek was much shorter. Mr. Black was true to his word and found a place for them to rest within an hour of them starting again. It was a secluded little ravine that was well treed and 

within throwing distance of the stream. On the edges of the ravine, they could keep watch for several miles around to make sure the bikers weren't coming after them.

Once he called a halt, Mr. Black climbed up to the top of the ravine with a two way radio in his hand.

"What's he doing?" one of the younger children asked. Nick had all of the children situated in the middle of the ravine. He didn't want to take a chance that they might stray and get lost. For some reason, not all of them seemed to have parents in the group. He made a mental note to ask someone why that was.

"I think he's talking to his bosses," Nick replied. He was trying to clean a toddler's cloth diaper without wrecking it. They didn't have any more to use and the one on the little girl was filthy. A thought occurred to him and he began rummaging through his backpack. Within minutes he'd fashioned two more diapers out of his only other shirt. The t-shirt material wasn't the best for diapers but it would be better than nothing.

"Thomas, can you watch other these three while I take her down to the stream and clean her up?" he asked. None of the other people they'd rescued seemed to be functioning well enough to watch the children. He wasn't willing to take a chance.

The young actor/cook looked startled for a moment before nodding his head, yes. Still a little stunned, he took Nick's position on the ground among the children and tried not to look too out of place.

Under the careful scrutiny of Mr. Brown, Nick wandered down the stream a ways before stripping the little girl and trying to scrub some of the layers of filth off her skin. The little girl was remarkably calm, given the circumstances, and was content to gurgle and play in the water.

Unsure of what else to do, Nick kept up a quiet commentary while he tended to the child. He was verging on panic himself but was desperate to not show it. Being a bachelor he had very little exposure to tending children. Being an only child only made that lack of experience worse. But, the happy little girl didn't seem to notice.

"Now will you let us look at your leg?" Johnny asked Mr. Blue. He and Roy had finally located the man keeping watch near the top of the ravine.

Under normal circumstances, Mr. Blue would have refused. He didn't think he needed medical attention. After all, the wound had stopped bleeding by itself. But, Mr. Black had cornered him a short while ago and ordered him to allow the paramedics to examine him and treat him as they saw fit. Growling under his breath, Mr. Blue nodded his head. "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, we need to get a better look at that wound of yours. We can cut your pants leg or you can slip them down. Which would you prefer?" Roy stated. He could see how much this was burning the man. He didn't want to irritate the man any more than necessary.

"Cut it."


	66. Chapter 66

_Hi everyone. I'm trying to write longer chapters. Unfortunately that means I won't be posting as often. Thank you very much for continuing to read. As always, I love to hear what my readers have to say. _

_Susanne_

Roy had assumed Mr. Blue's wound would be from a bullet. He was somewhat surprised, therefore to find that it was actually a knife wound. The man had been right. It was actually pretty shallow, barely through the subcutaneous tissue.

"I told you it was a flesh wound," Mr. Blue stated. He barely bothered to look at what the men were doing to him. He preferred to continue his guard duty.

"Well, you were right about that," Roy conceded. "But we still need to clean this out and wrap it properly to prevent any chance of infection. Since the earthquake, there is a much greater risk of picking up bacteria and diseases that we normally don't have to worry about."

"Do what you've got to do. Just do it quickly," Mr. Blue responded. He really didn't have the time or inclination to let them spend any more time than absolutely necessary. The younger Guardsman was on edge. For some reason he felt like they were being watched. Not one to laugh off any of his feelings, he was willing to bet that there was at least one person out in the underbrush.

"We'll be as fast as we can," Johnny promised.

Chris and Paul had found a spot nearby to sit and rest. Chris found great amusement in watching Nick struggling with the children. If she had a maternal bone in her body she may have tried to bail the young man out. Instead, she just enjoyed watching him. It did her heart good to see a man try to take care of several small children at once. Thomas had given up and moved over to a group of other people and was trying his best to help them instead.

Ponch was also moving among the people they'd rescued. He was doing his best to make sure they had food and water. So far it seemed to be the most important thing for any of them. He was grateful for the stream as he had to refill his canteen several times before everyone was sated. Secretly he was thankful that the Guardsmen had come along. He really hadn't had much of a plan for rescuing everyone. He didn't really appreciate their attitude. It wasn't like the rest of them were completely incompetent. The Guardsmen just liked to make them feel that way.

"Now seems to be a good time to fill me in on your adventures," Paul said to Chris. The two of them were filling the empty canteens down at the river. Chris had finally gotten tired of watching Nick struggle. Now the two of them were working with the others, trying to help Thomas keep them comfortable.

"Well, it all started with a ride down the coast highway," Chris began.

XXXXX

"It's as clean as I can get it," Roy announced. He'd done the best he could under the unsterile circumstances. Johnny was down by the river washing the blood off of his hands. Mr. Blue had barely stirred under their ministrations. He hadn't made a sound during the entire process.

"Good. Now you can leave me alone," Mr. Blue growled. He didn't really want to be irritable with the paramedics. After all, they were just doing their jobs. He just didn't have the energy to spend on being nice.

"Sorry, not quite yet. I still have to bandage it up so it stays clean," Roy responded. Expertly, he applied a sterile dressing and used tape to hold it in place. He then wrapped gauze around the dressing to further keep it in place. He had the feeling the man was going to be moving around a lot between now and when they finally get out of here.

"Suit yourself," Mr. Blue stated. He still had the feeling they were being watched. It was starting to set his nerves on edge. Between that and the wound burning like a hot brand was being applied to it, he was beginning to lose his sense of humour. Funny, he didn't remember having much of a sense of humour when he worked to begin with.

Finished, Roy quickly packed the supplies back into his back pack. He wasn't quite sure how Johnny had managed to get quite so dirty but then, if it was going to happen to anyone it would be his partner. Carefully, Roy gained his feet and moved over to the side of the stream where Johnny, Chris and Paul were.

"How are you doing?" Chris asked as she took a moment from relating her story. She could see the paleness of the elder paramedic's skin and the lines forming in the corners of his eyes and his mouth. They were all sure signs that the pain was getting worse again.

"I'm fine," Roy responded automatically. He tried to act like nothing was wrong but a grunt escaped as he crouched beside the stream to wash his hands. While he hadn't gotten as dirty as Johnny, he still needed to get some blood off of them.

"When do you take your next pill?" Johnny asked. He'd noticed the same signs. Now that his hands were clean, he was getting ready to check the others just as Roy came up.

"Why?" Roy was beginning to sympathize with Mr. Blue. It wasn't a lot of fun to be the center of attention with these medical types. He knew their concern was based on real caring but it still was a little irritating.

"We need you as close to 100 percent as we can get you. If it takes you swallowing a pill or two, I'd rather you took them," Johnny replied. He knew how painful broken ribs were. He also knew that they were not going to get better any time soon.

"I have to wait a few more hours," Roy conceded. As gracefully as he could manage, he regained his feet and headed out to check on the nearest people. Shaking his head in amazement, Johnny headed over to another group of people.

"I guess we'd better get busy and help too," Chris said. "Are you feeling up to it?"

"Lead the way," Paul responded. He wasn't quite used to seeing his younger sister showing such self confidence. Whatever else the earthquake had done, it seemed to have helped her find herself. For that he'd be eternally grateful.

The National Guardsmen were busy keeping guard over them. Ponch was also doing his best to watch other the others while not being as uptight or stoic. Eventually the others were all as full as they were going to get and hydrated as well. There was a definite lack of blankets but they were fortunate in that the temperature was fairly high so they wouldn't really need them.

Some of the group insisted on taking a bath in the stream. They at least took the time to walk down the stream bed so that they wouldn't contaminate the water for drinking. They had no other clothes to put on so they simply walked into the stream completely clothed. Being wet was better than being dirty especially after being held in the shed for a few days.

"How much longer?" Mr. Brown asked. He'd come up on Mr. Black shortly after he'd gotten off the radio with headquarters. From the expression on his commanding officer's face the news wasn't good.

"There's a storm front moving in. HQ says we may be stuck here for a day. We may have to survive on the supplies we have," Mr. Black stated. The plan had been simple enough. Parachute in, help rescue the people in the camp and get out again. They were less than a quarter mile from the LZ. It was supposed to be simple. So much for simple.

"A storm front? From here the sky looks clear," Mr. Brown said. He quickly scanned the sky again just to make sure. He knew that the hills blocked some of the horizon but it still looked pretty clear to him.

"That's what they say. I guess we'd better dig in and prepare to defend this area. I have to feeling that we're not quite done with the bikers. I don't think they'll give up that easily," Mr. Black stated. He had the feeling HQ wasn't telling them the whole story. Chances were that there was more going on.

"I'll go tell the others," Mr. Brown volunteered. It was going to be a long night.


	67. Chapter 67

_I guess now would be a good time to say that I've based the National Guardsmen on the characters from The Unit. I meant to say that earlier but kept forgetting. Yes, I'm a little on the disorganized side. Thank you for still reading!_

_Susanne_

"This sounds vaguely familiar," Chris said under her breath. The Guardsman had just informed them that rescue wasn't coming tonight and that they might as well get comfortable. There was a tension evident in the men's attitudes that belayed the nonchalance in which they'd made their report.

"You can say that again," Johnny said. He'd heard her and had to agree. It was starting to sound all too familiar. A little frustrated, he set about making sure everyone was as comfortable as they could manage. It wasn't going to be a pleasant night for anyone.

"I just hope the bikers don't find us," Paul stated. He didn't want to get too far away from his sister. He wasn't taking any chances of them being separated again. They were seated beside Roy. A short distance away, in a sheltered spot, Nick was still tending the children while Thomas hovered. The actor wasn't much into babysitting but he wanted to be nearby in case Nick needed help.

"You and me both," Chris replied. Now that she was sitting still exhaustion was threatening. Her brother was safe and with her, as were the two paramedics. At the moment, all seemed right with the world. It took nearly all the strength she had left to keep her eyes open.

Over the west side of the valley, the sun was getting ready to set. The valley was quickly being swallowed up in shadow and darkness. As much as everyone wanted one, a fire was decided against. If the bikers were after them, they didn't want to light a flood light for them to zero in on. The members of the National Guard were situated around the valley, anxiously keeping watch. Mr. Black wasn't telling them everything. That could only mean trouble was ahead.

"You should get some sleep," Chris suddenly said. She meant her brother and Roy. Both of them looked like death warmed over. If she thought too hard she'd realize that she probably didn't look much better.

"Only if you do," Roy replied. Johnny was still checking on the others. He was happy to let his partner do that, his ribs were not responding well to the painkillers. Johnny would let him know if he needed Roy's help.

"All right, smart aleck," Chris responded. Smiling despite her best efforts, she pulled her back pack over and retrieved her blanket. Without a word, she settled on the ground, her back pack as a pillow. Paul lay down beside her, his back up against hers. He pulled the blanket up over the two of them and settled in for the night. Within seconds Roy was on the ground beside Chris.

The older paramedic tried to watch what Johnny was doing in case he needed help. It was a battle he managed to win for the first few minutes. Gradually, however, his eye lids got too heavy and then darkness descended as he gave into sleep.

Once he was sure everyone was as comfortable as they were going to get and that Ponch and Thomas were going to be keeping their own watch, Johnny moved over to where Roy, Chris and Paul were. Nick was keeping an eye on the kids while they slept. He was having trouble staying awake too but he knew he'd wake up at the slightest sound or movement.

Johnny glanced at the trio curled up on the ground. All three were sound asleep. Carefully he lay down beside Roy and prepared to get as much sleep as he could.

XXXXX

The night passed quietly. When Roy woke up he was grateful that hordes of bikers hadn't descended on them in the night. He hadn't really expected them to but it was nice to get some luck this time around. He was amazed to find that the four National Guardsmen were all still wide awake. Despite being injured, even Mr. Blue appeared to have suffered no ill effects from not getting any sleep. He wished he could be the same.

While working as a fireman, Roy was used to staying up all night fighting fires or helping the injured. It hadn't been that long since the earthquake, he really should have been able to survive with less sleep than he'd had. Disappointed in himself, Roy forced his protesting body up to an upright position. He then made the rounds to make sure everyone had survived the night with a minimum of trouble.

Mr. Blue had spent the night staring into the darkness. Other than a few small animals there wasn't much moving in the trees. It had been a pretty boring shift. He was determined to not let the leg slow him down. It had been a stupid injury. It had all been his own fault for losing focus for a few moments back at the biker camp. One of the guards had managed to sneak up on him while he was on point. Mr. Blue was a trained soldier. He should have been able to keep himself safe as well as the people he'd been sent to rescue. It burned him that he'd allowed the man to get that close to him. Mr. Blue had been able to disarm the man and neutralize him before he'd alerted anyone else. But, his leg had started to burn during the night.

Frustration burned through his system as well. Mr. Blue knew he should have woken one of the paramedics or gone to Mr. Brown, their own resident medic. That would have been admitting that the leg was bothering him. That wasn't something he was willing to do. Instead, he stayed at his post and watched. And waited. He hoped that the burning would subside with the dawn. No such luck.

"How are you doing, Mr. Blue?" Mr. Black asked. He was doing a circuit among his men to make sure all was well.

"I'm fine," Mr. Blue stated.

"Your face is flushed. I'll go relieve Mr. Brown and have him look at your leg," Mr. Black said. He didn't bother to wait for his man to agree. He knew that he would.

A few minutes later, Mr. Blue was joined by his counterpart. Mr. Brown wasted no time in discussion. He knelt down beside Mr. Blue and quickly examined his leg. A low whistle issued from him as he pulled the bandages off.

"No wonder your face is flushed," Mr. Brown said. "Whatever you were cut with must have been pretty dirty to start an infection this quickly. The paramedics cleaned this last night, right?"

"Yeah. Guess it didn't make much difference," Mr. Blue said. Breath hissed between clenched teeth when Mr. Brown palpated the reddened wound.

"Well, I hope they have some antibiotics with them," Mr. Brown said. Springing to his feet, he headed in the direction of the two firemen.

It only took a moment or two for him to explain the situation to Johnny. Roy was still out among the others checking people out. Most of them had faired very well during the night but any of them that had cuts or scrapes were beginning to show signs of infection. Roy was beginning to wonder if the water was contaminated after all.

His back pack in hand, Johnny followed Mr. Brown over to where Mr. Blue continued to keep watch. The wound was still uncovered so he could immediately see the red veins of infection radiating from the shallow cut. Just as he was about to begin cleaning it all hell broke loose.


	68. Chapter 68

The children started to wail almost in one voice. Startled, Nick bolted upright. He'd still been sleeping lightly because the children had been asleep as well. Then the ground started to move under them. The earthquake was as strong as the initial one had been. Trees swayed as if they were caught in a full blown hurricane. If they hadn't struggled to survive in the wild, if their roots weren't as deep as they were, the trees would have toppled on top of them.

Scared, all of the people scrambled to get as far away from the trees as they could. The valley being surrounded by vegetation made finding a safe place more difficult than Roy would have liked. He directed the closest group toward the stream. It was the safest place he could immediately see.

It was hard going even for that short a distance. They all swayed drunkenly as the ground continued to heave under their feet. Small landslides were beginning to erupt along the valley edges where the vegetation wasn't quite as dense. Yet the earth still shook.

There were shouts and screams as people stumbled over to the edge of the stream. Even Mr. Black's people were having trouble keeping on their feet. Mr. Blue was the least affected because he'd been sitting all ready so Johnny could clean his leg. He had to catch hold of the younger paramedic to keep him from plunging head first down the valley wall.

The sound of the earthquake was loud enough to drown out most other noise. It seemed to last forever, far longer than the first one. Mr. Blue kept hold of Johnny until the ground stopped moving. The last thing they needed was for the paramedics to get hurt.

"Thanks," Johnny said when he could finally be heard. The dust from the landslides had begun to settle finally, making breathing that much easier as well.

"You'd better go check on everyone," Mr. Blue responded. All ready he was forcing himself up onto his feet, sore leg be damned. A short distance away, the other Guardsmen were also regaining their feet. During the earthquake Mr. Grey had skidded several feet down the side of the valley before he was able to catch himself again. While he looked very dirty after his tumble, from the way he was moving he didn't seem to have injured himself.

By the time Johnny reached the bottom of the valley and the side of the stream, Roy was all ready gathering up the refugees and had begun to check them over. Chris and Paul were helping as best they could while Nick and Thomas tended to the hysterical children whose parents weren't with them. That left two children each, almost more than they could handle.

A short distance away, Ponch was also helping with the people they'd rescued. One middle aged woman was nearly hysterical. He was trying to calm her down despite her frantic cries. Ponch was finally forced to physically restrain the woman until she came back to herself.

"Is this earthquake season or something?" Chris asked. She and Paul were moving among the nearest group to them. Everyone seemed to be dazed but all right. A few were verging on shock. Chris didn't think she really blamed them. She desperately wanted to go home again.

"Just our luck, huh?" Paul responded. He'd ripped a piece off of his shirt, soaked it in the stream and was wiping some blood off a woman's face. She was sitting completely still, her hands dug deep into the ground.

Within minutes everyone was checked and accounted for. Except for jangled nerves, there was no real evidence that a major earthquake had just struck. That was both terrifying and a relief at the same time, especially after having seen the wreckage of the earlier one.

"Should we move out?" Mr. Grey asked Mr. Black. The National Guardsmen had gathered together to evaluate the new situation. They were far enough away from the civilians that their conversation would not be accidently overheard.

"We should get our butts to the landing zone and get out of here. Unfortunately, headquarters isn't sending anyone to pick us up for seven hours. This is where we are and where we're going to be for the next six hours. Check out the slopes, make sure that they're still solid," Mr. Black ordered. He wanted to get the hell out of here as much as everyone else.

The three men nodded their acknowledgement of their superior's orders before heading out in different directions. They could cover more ground that way.

XXXXX

Four hours later, everyone had settled in to eat a meagre dinner of rations and water. Roy wasn't sure about the water causing infection and they were completely out of clean water. Dehydration or an increased risk of infection, he wasn't entirely sure which was the lesser of the two evils. He decided to keep his fears to himself until he had more proof.

The senior paramedic was sitting beside Chris and Paul along the side of the stream. Now that everyone was cared for they were also eating their lunch. Chris had an affinity for the stream and seemed to enjoy spending time listening to it gurgle on its way down hill. At least that was why Roy assumed she spent as much time by it as she did.

The two Canadians were deep in a discussion about issues at home. Paul was munching distractedly on his ration bar. Under his rear end he could feel a deep rumbling. At first he thought that they may be subject to another earthquake or a tremor but it passed so quickly and no one else seemed to be bothered by it. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his sister.

Roy listened to them continue in their discussion. It was the most he'd heard the woman speak since meeting her. He found it kind of refreshing. After a few minutes, Johnny came to sit beside him. In his hand was his own ration bar and canteen.

"I think we're in trouble," Chris stated suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked. There was alarm and fear on the woman's face. Something was very wrong.

"My feet are getting wet. I was a good six inches from the water when I sat down. I think the river's rising," the woman said.

Startled, Roy looked down at his own feet. They were in the water's edge as well. Quickly they all stood up and looked down stream. The water was definitely rising.


	69. Chapter 69

They weren't the only ones who'd noticed that the stream was getting wider. Immediately upon seeing that the stream edge was disappearing, Mr. Black sent Mr. Grey to investigate. Meanwhile, Roy, Johnny and Paul were getting everyone back from the water. The retreat was continual as the stream became a river.

By the time Mr. Grey returned, the entire camp was several yards up the side of the valley and were still losing ground.

"What did you find?" Mr. Black asked as soon as his subordinate came within range of his voice.

"There was a landslide. It's blocked the stream a quarter of a mile downstream," Mr. Gray reported.

"How bad is the landslide? How high is the stream going to get?" Mr. Black demanded. Even as he continued the debriefing, the Guardsman was scanning the area, looking for an escape route.

"Most of the valley is blocked. By the time the water goes over the slide we're going to be within twenty feet of the crest," Mr. Grey answered.

Some of the survivors nearly became hysterical at this announcement. Paul and Chris exchanged looks. The paramedics tried to calm people down. Nick and Thomas immediately began to move the children to the top of the ridge. They weren't willing to take the chance. It would be easier to move them now while they still have a bit of time rather than trying to rush them.

"All right, we're going to move to higher ground," Mr. Black announced. Mr. Brown and Mr. Blue tried to move the people nearest to them up hill without much success.

"That's enough," one of the women said. "I'm not moving another inch until all of this just stops." To emphasize her words, she sat down on the ground and crossed her arms. The woman was about 50 and rather plump for her frame.

"Well, now, ma'am," Roy began as he tried to help her to her feet. "As much as I can relate to the sentiment, that's not really practical. If you stay here, you'll be a few feet under water."

"I don't care," the woman pouted. "I'm done with all of this."

"You're still alive. How can you just give up like this?" Roy couldn't believe what he was hearing. The woman was being completely irrational.

"I can give up if I want to," the woman said. Despite everything Roy tried, she remained where she was. As strong as Roy was, he couldn't lift her 200 plus pounds of dead weight alone. Sighing in exasperation, he looked around to look for help.

"You just leave me alone," the woman growled. While Roy's attention was elsewhere, she pushed him away. It wasn't a deliberate act of violence. She just really wanted to be left alone and Roy 

was standing too close for comfort. Caught completely unprepared, Roy was sent sprawling down the incline. Desperate to not wind up in the river, Roy tried to grab hold of anything that would stop his tumble. Nothing could stop his momentum.

"What the hell?" Johnny said as he saw a flash of colour out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he found his partner rolling down hill and the woman sitting on the ground where she'd been. Swearing under his breath, Johnny ran after Roy. Within seconds, he too was having trouble stopping his forward momentum.

Just as it seemed like Roy was going to crash into the dark water, Mr. Blue appeared from around a tree and caught hold of the paramedic at the last possible minute. The man had been going at a pretty good clip and it took every ounce of strength Mr. Blue had to keep them both from not getting wet. He all ready had hold of Roy's nearest arm but he reached out and grabbed his other one just in case.

Sometime during the tumble down the side of the valley, Roy had been knocked senseless. That was probably just as well, Mr. Blue mused. If he'd still been resisting his slide, Roy might have caused himself more damage than he'd all ready sustained. Mr. Blue ignored the burning pain in his leg as he pulled the insensate man toward him. Once Roy was close enough, Mr. Blue wrapped his arms around the smaller man's chest and pulled him further from the river's grasp. They were losing ground quickly to the gathering water.

"Roy!" Johnny called as he pounded down toward the two men. A heartbeat behind him followed Chris and Paul. There was no way Chris was going to be left behind. Her heart was in her throat when she saw how limp the man was in the Guardsman's arms.

"Mr. Blue. Mr. Gray and Mr. Brown will help you get the man up here. We're running out of time," Mr. Black called down rather matter of factly from the top of the valley wall. He'd seen the whole scenario play out. If he'd had his choice, he would have seriously considered leaving the woman there to drown. It was what she deserved.

"Roy?" Johnny reached out to his friend and partner. Mr. Blue carefully laid that man down on the only clear ground he could find, a few feet above the water line. He stood back to allow Johnny access to the unconscious man while he waited for his two compatriots to join them at the edge of the rising river.

"Is he okay?" Chris gasped as she drew up short to keep from running over the two men. Paul caught hold of her at the last minute as she nearly lost her balance.

"I don't know," was all Johnny had the time to say as he quickly evaluated his friend. The water was getting closer to them. Part of his mind guessed that they had two more minutes before it reached them.

"We have to let him work, Chris. Let's get up above so that we don't become another problem," Paul said. The concern that lined his sister's face really surprised him. Chris was known for many things 

back home, caring for people who weren't family wasn't one of those things. He knew that his sister had a great deal of empathy for people and would never deliberately hurt anyone but he'd never seen her so pale or scared before. Maybe there was hope for her yet, he mused.

"In a minute," Chris responded. She wasn't going anywhere until she was sure Roy and Johnny were safe.

Mr. Brown and Mr. Grey joined them at the water's edge. Johnny was still checking Roy's vital signs but the blond haired man wasn't showing any signs of coming around. "You can finish your exam up top," Mr. Grey stated. Without giving the paramedic chance to argue, Mr. Grey caught hold of Roy's head while Mr. Brown took up his feet. A second later, the two men were gently hauling Roy up the side of the valley.


	70. Chapter 70

"Put her down there," Mr. Black ordered. He was talking to Mr. Blue as he dragged the obstinate woman to the top of the valley edge. Roy had tried to be too nice. Mr. Blue was much more forceful in his approach. Besides, his leg was hurting too much for him to have patience with her stupidity.

"I'm going to sue you for your brutality," the woman complained as she sank back down into the dirt.

"That's your choice," Mr. Blue replied. Walking away from the woman before he caused her serious bodily harm, Mr. Blue moved over to where Johnny was working on his partner. Chris and Paul were hovering nearby.

"Come on, Roy, wake up," Johnny muttered under his breath as he finished his exam. Roy had no more broken bones. There was a slight swelling appearing above his right eye brow, which could account for his lack of consciousness. So far his life signs were steady. Now if only he'd wake up.

"We're going to have to find someplace else to spend the night," Mr. Black said. "We're too exposed up here." He was concerned for the man but he had a lot more people to consider.

"Mr. Brown and I will do some scouting," Mr. Grey said. Without another word, the two men took off in opposite directions. Mr. Black was right. Even if they didn't have to worry about humans trying to attack them, there was still the affects of exposure that they had to consider.

Nick and Thomas had rounded up the children again. The ones that they could they left with their parents now that the worst of the shock appeared to have worn off. That left them each with a young toddler to tend. Thomas still had the look of someone completely out of his realm of experience. Nick was getting a little more used to it.

Ponch, Johnny, Chris and Paul moved Roy to a more sheltered spot under a taller tree. The man was still completely lifeless. Roy's eyes being closed really freaked Chris out. After all the time they'd spent together since the earthquake she couldn't ever remember seeing the senior paramedic asleep. She was sure she probably had but it hadn't left an impression. This certainly did.

"How long until we know he'll be okay?" she found herself asking. She always hated it on shows or movies where the stupid girl keeps asking obvious questions. Now that she was in a situation she wasn't in control of, she'd become the stupid woman asking questions. She hated every second of it.

"I don't know," Johnny responded. He was still fusing over Roy but there really wasn't much he could do for his friend. He was going to wake up in his own time.

"Here," Chris said as she wrapped her blanket around the paramedic. Unsure of what else to do, she looked around the impromptu camp. People were huddled in small groups. Those with children were now tending them with a good deal more attention. There was still an air of desperation among the groups. They were all struggling to come to grips with their new realities. For many of them that 

meant that they no longer had a home. They no longer had a car or any other worldly possession but the clothes on their back.

The National Guardsmen were back and huddled together trying to have a private discussion. Frustrated and scared, Johnny asked Chris to watch his partner while he went over to find out what their real situation was. As soon as he got within range, the four men quit talking and turned to face him.

"How's your partner?" Mr. Black asked. Unconsciously, he glanced at Mr. Blue. The youngest member of his team was sweating profusely and trying to not show just how sick he really felt. Between the two injured men they were going to have to find medicine soon before they got any worse.

"Unconscious with a head wound. I need to get him someplace where he can be properly attended to. What about that camp we passed a few miles back?" Johnny said. He had noticed the pale complexion and sweat beading on Mr. Blue's forehead. Roy wasn't the only one in trouble.

"Mr. Grey was just there. The bikers made quite a mess but they appear to be putting the camp back together again. The problem is that it is in the opposite direction we're supposed to go in to reach our rendezvous point," Mr. Black stated.

"How long until we're supposed to be at the rendezvous point and how far away is it?" Johnny asked. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"The last communication I had said in 12 hours," Mr. Black hedged. He knew that since the earthquake communications had become a problem. Apparently the problems were continuing. Mr. Black wasn't sure if it was a line of sight issue or a breakdown of equipment. Ultimately it really didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were out of contact with HQ. They had no idea if the plans were still the same. "The LZ is two miles from here."

"We can cover that in twelve hours," Johnny said. He completely missed the man's evasiveness in his concern for his friend.

"If we were alone, yes, we could. We would have to leave the others here," Mr. Black stated. He'd been running all the conceivable scenarios through his mind. This was the most plausible.

"We can't leave the others here. Some of them are still suffering the symptoms of shock. They need to have medical attention as well," Johnny interrupted.

"I'm aware of their condition," Mr. Black said.

"I don't know if Roy or your Mr. Blue can survive another twelve hours. We have to make our way to the other base camp. Your people are going to have to pick us up there," Johnny replied. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Too much was riding on them getting to something even close to civilization.

"They can't pick us up there," Mr. Black muttered.

"You don't have contact, do you?" Johnny guessed. It had been happening all too often. He wasn't even sure why he was surprised.

"No, I don't," Mr. Black admitted.

"Then you don't know if they're going to be there in 12 hours to pick us up, do you?" Johnny pushed. While he talked, he glanced over where Roy was still laying. Chris had put his head in her lap and was talking incessantly at him. He could see her lips moving from here.

"No, I don't," Mr. Black admitted again.

"Then we're heading for the other camp. We'll be moving in twenty minutes." Johnny wasn't going to take the chance with his friend or the National Guardsmen. Or the other members of their groups that were all ready showing signs of infection. They just didn't have the time to risk. Without waiting for the man to respond, Johnny began to move among the groups and let them know that they should get ready. He wasn't leaving anyone behind.


	71. Chapter 71

XXXXX

By the time everyone was up and mobile, the river had finally overtopped the landslide. It had stopped rising, for which they were all grateful for, the group was quickly running out of dry land. A stretcher was improvised for Roy since the paramedic had still not regained consciousness.

Mr. Black wasn't really all that thrilled with the turn of events but he had to admit that the younger paramedic was right. He had no idea that the chopper was actually coming and the base camp two miles away had a stronger radio than he did. And, Mr. Blue really did need medical attention. So, he set Mr. Brown and Mr. Grey as out riders to keep an eye on their flanks as the group began the arduous climb to the top of the valley.

Nick was left in charge of the two toddlers while Thomas, Paul, Johnny and Ponch carried Roy as gently as they could in the blankets they'd jury rigged into a stretcher. The going was hard and exhausting. By the time the group reached the first rest stop, the stretcher bearers were at the back of the ragged line of people. Chris had stayed with them. She didn't want to get separated from them.

The first rest area was a small open area among the scrub brush. Everyone just kind of collapsed onto the ground wherever it was open. The Guardsmen took up positions around the perimeter before resting.

As gently as they could, the four men cautiously laid Roy down on a patch of grass. Immediately Johnny moved over to examine his partner who had not yet come around. Ponch and Thomas moved among the others making sure everyone was all right. Chris knelt down beside Johnny and Roy. Paul knelt down on his other side to give Johnny some room to work.

"Why is he still unconscious?" Chris asked. She was greatly concerned for the senior paramedic. She couldn't imagine what had happened during his tumble down the hillside that would result in such a long period of unconsciousness.

"I don't know," Johnny replied. Now that he had a few minutes, he began to check Roy's head for any serious contusions. There had to be a medical reason why the older man was still insensate. It felt kind of weird to be running his hands through Roy's dark blond hair. If the older man was awake, he'd be really quite indignant. Johnny wasn't sure he'd blame him.

Then he felt it. Just at the back of Roy's skull was a golf ball size lump. Drawing his fingers back, he found a little blood. Quickly, he pulled out his pen light and checked Roy's papillary response. He was very relieved to see that the blue depths were slow but definitely responsive.

"Could you get me the medical kit out of my bag?" Johnny asked Paul since he was nearest his back pack.

"Sure," Paul responded. He pulled the bag closer and began to rummage around in its depths.

"Do you need me to do anything?" Chris asked. It was driving her nuts that Roy was so quiet. It just seemed very unnatural for the man to be so still.

"Yeah, actually there is one thing. Do you know which one of the Guardsmen is Mr. Blue?" he asked.

"The tall dark haired one?" Chris hoped she was wrong. The man was kind of intimidating to her.

"Yes, that's the one. I need you to go take his vital signs and check on his wound. I've been meaning to do it but I don't want to leave Roy," Johnny replied. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't even consider asking a civilian to help with medical treatment. But, these were far from normal times and he knew she could do it. She'd proven that all ready.

"Sure. I guess so," Chris responded. Her heart sank somewhere into her stomach at the very thought of approaching the man but if he was injured he needed to be taken care of too.

Johnny accepted the kit from Paul and sorted through it quickly. He handed over the stethoscope, BP cuff, a bottle of astringent and some bandages. "Here, take these with you. If it's anything you're uncomfortable with give me a yell," Johnny said.

"I'll keep that in mind," Chris mumbled. She accepted the small bundle and stood up to survey the area. She knew what Mr. Blue looked like but she'd lost track of him and was unsure of where he'd wound up. Finally she spotted him on the other side of a small shrub, keeping an eye out.

Swallowing her discomfort, Chris made her way toward him. She knew the reason she was so upset was because this was a person she didn't know and he carried a gun. Never a good combination in her world. Still, he may need medical attention and she apparently was the only one available to give it to him. What was the world coming to?

"Hi," she said self consciously as she came within a few feet of the crouching man. Even sitting on his haunches, the man appeared very tall to her. She hated being short.

"Hello," Mr. Blue responded. He glanced at her for a moment and then turned his attention back to guard duty.

"Johnny asked me to come and check you over. He's a little preoccupied with Roy and doesn't have the time to do it himself," she explained as she stepped closer and knelt down beside him.

"I'm fine," Mr. Blue responded again. He glanced at her again, taking note of the things clutched in her hands.

"Johnny doesn't seem to think so or he wouldn't be worried about you. I'll be as fast as I can. Could you take your jacket off and roll up your sleeve so I can check your blood pressure?" Chris was hoping the man didn't decide to throttle her instead.

"Fine," Mr. Blue said. Growling under his breath, he stripped off one shoulder of his jacket and rolled up that sleeve. He could feel her discomfort and wondered briefly about it. Then she wrapped the BP cuff around his bicep and was suddenly all business. "Are you a nurse?"

"No. I trained to work on animals. They are very similar, just less vocal," Chris responded. Pumping up the cuff, she placed the stethoscope ear pieces in her ears and placed the other end on the inside crook of his arm. Carefully she let out the air using the bulb and listened for the tell tale heart beat. At least this was something she knew how to do. All ready, her nerves were settling down. Thankfully.

"Well, I'll try to not bite you," Mr. Blue said, trying to break the ice a little. A small smile touched the corners of her mouth while she concentrated. Satisfied that she wasn't going to run shrieking from him, the National Guardsman turned his attention back to the surrounding area.

110 over 75. Not too high but not quite normal either. Chris moved the stethoscope over to the man's chest. Listening intently to his lungs and his heart she found both to be very strong and regular. "Where's your wound?" she asked as she undid the BP cuff and stashed it into her pocket for the trip back to Johnny. She wasn't about to start searching the man to find out where he was hurt.

"It's just a flesh wound. It is fine," Mr. Blue answered. He turned his attention back to the woman.

"You're sweating and your blood pressure is up slightly. I don't think the wound is fine. Let me see it so I can try to clean it and keep you from getting any worse. We're all ready carrying one man, we certainly don't need to be carrying two," Chris growled.

Grinning to himself, Mr. Blue sat down on the ground and produced the bandaged leg. The white bandage was no longer white thanks to their moving around.

Carefully, Chris undid the bandage to examine the broken skin underneath. Sure enough, there was some redness and heat. Gritting her teeth, hoping she didn't hurt the man too much, she applied some of the astringent to a clean piece of bandage and applied it to the wound. Mr. Blue hissed through his teeth at the pain but otherwise didn't react at all. When it was as clean as she was going to get it, Chris used the rest of the clean bandage to wrap it up again.

"Ideally you should be on antibiotics. Since we don't seem to have any just keep it as clean as you can for now," she instructed. It was a waste of time because there weren't any showers anywhere near but she felt better for having said it.

"Whatever you say," Mr. Blue said, a grin still tugging on his lips. He found the woman amusing after dealing with the more hysterical members of their group.

"If you get feeling any worse, please let us know. We'd rather try to keep you on your feet instead of carrying you," Chris reiterated.

"Yes, sir," Mr. Blue said.

Unsure of whether he was making fun of her or not, Chris decided to ignore the grin, picked up her supplies and headed back to Johnny, Roy and her brother.


	72. Chapter 72

_A little short but better than nothing. Thank you for your continued support!_

_Susanne_

"How's he doing?" Johnny asked as she joined them. He'd cleaned the small cut on Roy's head but was at a loss of anything else to do for his friend. Gratefully, he accepted the BP cuff back and began to attach it to Roy's arm.

"The leg's getting infected. His BP is 110 over 75 but his pulse and respiration are normal. I didn't check his temperature but I think he's got a fever," Chris replied. "How's Roy?"

"The same," was Johnny's laconic response. The only sound was the sucking of air into the BP cuff.

Not knowing what else to do, Chris knelt down at Roy's head. Using a small piece of bandage that was still clean, she wet it with the water from her canteen and wiped at Roy's forehead. Paul was amazed. He didn't think he'd ever seen his sister act motherly toward anyone that wasn't family.

"Please come back," Chris whispered under her breath.

XXXXX

All too soon it was time to get moving again. Groans could be heard around the clearing as people climbed back to their feet. Ponch and Thomas had returned to help lift Roy. Each man set on their corners of the blanket, they were getting ready to lift him up when a small moan escaped his lips.

"Roy?" Johnny asked immediately. Putting his corner back down he moved over to kneel beside his friend's head. Hope beat in his throat or was that his heart, he wasn't sure.

"What's going on?" Roy mumbled as his eyes fluttered open. Instantly, he closed his eyes again. Another groan escaped.

"You fell. How do you feel?" Johnny supplied. Roy wasn't opening his eyes. He must have a concussion, light was causing him pain. Not a good sign.

"Like my head is two times too big," Roy replied. Suddenly aware that he was the centre of attention, Roy tried to lift his head. Pain flashed through his skull and nausea threatened. Lying back down only helped with the nausea.

"What's the hold up?" Mr. Black asked. Everyone else was on their feet ready to go. He glanced around the huddle and then down at the obviously suffering paramedic. "Is he going to be able to travel?"

"I can travel," Roy growled. Ignoring the pain, he tried to sit up again to prove his point. Luckily he hadn't had anything to eat for a while because it all came up. Roy had enough time to roll away from 

everyone before bile exploded. Helplessly, he wretched until there was nothing left and then he collapsed back onto the blanket.

"I don't think we're going anywhere for a while," Johnny stated. He knelt back down beside Roy and helped his friend take a few sips of water. This was bad. They were going to have to keep Roy as still as possible until the concussion healed enough for him to move. Or they could wait until he passed out again and move him then. Neither alternative really appealed to Johnny.

"We can't wait for him to heal enough to travel," Mr. Black said. He glanced around at the others waiting for them to get moving. "We'll have to take everyone else to the camp and then send help back. I'll get a motorized vehicle or a helicopter to come get you."

"I'm not going without you," Chris said. She hadn't even bothered to ask her brother for his opinion, there just wasn't any other option that she was willing to consider.

"Neither am I," Ponch said. He didn't want to leave the two paramedics here without some form of security.

"You're needed to help get the others to the camp," Johnny said. He appreciated the offer but they were going to start running short of supplies soon enough. The fewer people left behind, the better. "We'll be all right here until help comes."

"Are you sure?" Ponch asked. He wanted to make sure. After all they'd been through since the earthquake he didn't want to feel like he was abandoning them.

Johnny looked down at his partner. Roy seemed completely oblivious to the conversation going on around him. He simply lay on the blanket with his eyes closed and concentrated on breathing without throwing up. Roy had to take his victories where he could find them. "Yeah, I'm sure. We're not going anywhere for a while."


	73. Chapter 73

Half an hour later, Roy, Johnny, Chris and Paul were alone. The others had all disappeared over the ridge. Roy had fallen into a fitful sleep within minutes of walking up. It was the only way he had to escape the pain and nausea. Johnny had made sure he was lying on his side just in case he threw up while sleeping.

Chris and Paul were trying to pack the supplies Mr. Black and the others had left behind for them. At least they wouldn't have to worry too much about starving in the next few days. With any luck, by then they'd be in a base camp.

Just as they were beginning to settle into their new reality, Mr. Blue appeared from the undergrowth. His face was red and sweat ran down the sides.

"Mr. Black sent me back," was all he said. Glancing at his new companions, Mr. Blue settled down on a rock several yards away from which he could keep an eye on things.

That didn't really surprise any of them. The National Guardsman was as ill as or worse than Roy. He was just better at hiding it.

"I forgot to ask how long we would have to wait. Do you have any idea?" Johnny asked. In his concern for his partner the question had completely slipped his mind.

"Two days, tops," Mr. Blue replied. Feverish or not, he was still keeping his eyes open to make sure they were safe. The last thing they needed was to be caught unawares.

"I hope you're right," Chris said. With all that's happened she wasn't going to believe it until she saw the helicopter hovering over them with her own two eyes.

"Well, I guess we'd better get ready to spend the night here," Johnny said. He glanced down at his apparently still sleeping partner before moving away from him. Roy had him really scared. He needed to be as protected from the elements as they could manage. Looking around, he located some branches that would work and an area to start with.

"What would you like me to do?" Chris asked. She was a little out of her depth. Camping in her world included a tent, gas stove and containers of water. Here she had only the containers of water and not nearly enough of those.

"Collect some wood. I know we shouldn't have a fire because it'll let everyone know where we are but I'm not willing to let Roy or Mr. Blue get a chill during the night. Stay close though. I don't want you to get lost," Johnny said.

"I'll help," Paul said. The two of them set off in search of dry wood to start a fire with. It would have been better with an axe but they'd make do.

Johnny set about clearing out the underbrush around the spot he'd decided on. He left enough of it around three of the sides so that he could use it to prop the branches against them and create a wind break. Mr. Blue stayed where he was, still keeping watch.

XXXXX

Several minutes later they had what would pass as a camp. Now that they had enough wood for a fire and enough branches wound among the underbrush to stop the wind, it was time to move Roy. The senior paramedic hadn't given any indication of being conscious. Johnny kind of hoped that he was unconscious, it would make moving him that much easier.

Chris was positioned at Roy's head because it was going to be the lightest part to carry. She didn't want to drop him so she was quite happy to be put in a place where she could cause the least harm. Paul and Johnny took hold of the blanket under Roy at either side of his legs.

The moment they lifted Roy up his eyes shot open and he groaned.

"I'm sorry, Roy, we have to move you just a few feet then we'll leave you alone," Johnny said, hoping to calm the fear that seemed to be burning in his partner's blue eyes.

Before Roy had a chance to reply, he turned violently in the blanket and got over the side of the blanket just in time to vomit again. Not giving him a chance to recover, the three moved him as fast as they possible could and then gently laid him down on the ground toward the back of the shelter Johnny had engineered.

"Where are the others?" Roy managed when the nausea passed. It was the first time he'd become aware that they were alone.

"Mr. Black and the other National Guardsmen are leading them to the base camp we passed. They'll send back help," Johnny replied as he pulled the other blankets up over his friend. The last thing Roy needed was to catch a chill.

"Guess I have a concussion, huh?" Roy tried to make light of his pain and suffering. At least his ribs didn't seem to be a problem anymore.

"Looks that way. I'm going to be waking you up every few hours just to make sure you're okay but I want you to rest. We may be here a day or two," Johnny instructed. He held the canteen up to Roy's lips and helped his friend take a few mouthfuls.

Roy tried to look over at Chris and Paul but the movement sent his head aching again. Giving in, he closed his eyes and tried to follow his partner's instructions. He felt really badly that he was the reason that the others had stayed. Then darkness descended as he fell asleep.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Chris asked. She hated feeling helpless. Looking at Roy's sleeping face made her feel especially so.

"How good are you at making a fire?" Johnny replied. While Roy was asleep, he quietly took his partner's vital signs. He wanted t know if he was getting any worse.

"There's a first time for everything," Chris stated. She and Paul set about finding enough rocks to surround the fire before they began to set it up. With the experiences with fire so far, they weren't willing to take any chances.

XXXXX

Darkness had fallen. Mr. Blue had moved a little closer to the fire so he could feel its heat but not have the light blind him to the darkness around him. The others were gathered around the fire, eating the rations that they'd found in their back packs.

The fire felt wonderful in the darkness but it also made Chris feel a little uneasy. She chalked it up to being chased by the orange flames down the aqua duct. She just hoped she was right. Unconsciously, she'd placed her hand on Roy's shoulder while the paramedic continued to sleep. She just wanted to reassure herself that he was still there and okay.

"This isn't quite the same as camping up at Nemebien Lake," Paul said to his sister.

"No. I don't think we'll break into a sing along any time soon," Chris replied.

"What is Nemebien Lake?" Johnny asked.

"It's a small lake just north of LaRonge. It's pretty far north and pretty isolated but a wonderful place to camp," Chris replied. Images of camping with her family started playing through her mind. Instantly she was very homesick.

"I'm assuming LaRonge is a place in Canada," Johnny said. He suddenly felt like the two were talking a different language.

"Yeah, sorry. It's in the northern part of Saskatchewan, where we're from," Chris said.

"I'm not even going to ask how you spell that," Johnny chuckled.

"It's not as hard as it sounds," was Chris's response.

The conversation carried on for quite some time before Chris and Paul were finally forced to turn in. Johnny settled himself beside Roy. He wanted to make sure he was close enough to check on him a couple of times during the night.

"I'll take the last watch," Johnny called out to Mr. Blue just outside the right of light. He knew the man needed sleep as much as Roy but he knew he couldn't stay awake all night. Mr. Blue on the other hand seemed to not be tired at all. "Could you wake me in four hours?"

"You don't need to keep watch," Mr. Blue said from the gloom. "I'll sleep during the day."

"Wake me in four hours," Johnny repeated.


	74. Chapter 74

XXXXX

The fire was catching up to them. Chris could feel its heat on her back, hear it crackling behind her and smell it. The smoke was so thick she couldn't see where she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away before she was burned alive. Then she tripped.

Gasping, Chris sat bolt upright. It took her several moments to remember where she was. Looking down on Roy's sleeping face and then her brother's she finally took a full breath. Damn that dream had seemed so real!

"Are you all right?" Mr. Blue asked from his vantage point outside the camp. He'd heard the woman moaning softly and moving around in her sleep. He supposed nightmares were inevitable at this point. She'd awaken just as he was about to come and do it himself.

"Ah," Chris began as she wiped a layer of sweat off her face with her shirt sleeve. "Yeah, I think so."

Rather than disturb the other three people sleeping nearby, she moved away from the low burning fire and sat a few feet away from the National Guardsman. Away from the fire the night was a little colder than she'd thought but after the nightmare, that was all right.

"Is your name really Mr. Blue?" Chris asked. It was the first thing that had come to her mind. She really didn't have too much in common with the man so there wasn't much to talk about.

"Yes," Mr. Blue answered automatically. To him the night felt a little warm. Staying awake hadn't been a problem so far but he had to admit he was glad of the company.

"Really?" Chris had the feeling he was pulling her leg.

Mr. Blue paused for a moment. He really shouldn't tell her, it wasn't really something she needed to know. But then, it wasn't like she was a terrorist or anything either. "No, it's not. I'm called Mr. Blue because that's the colour of my eyes. It's the same for the others as well."

"Does Mr. Black have black eyes? I've never seen anyone with black eyes," Chris couldn't help herself, she had to ask.

"No, but we can't have two Mr. Browns, can we?" Mr. Blue chuckled.

"No, I guess not. The next obvious question is why would National Guardsmen have to take a fake name to help in a natural disaster? Are you afraid someone will find out who you and follow you home?" Not normally this forward, Chris was just trying to pass the time. So far Mr. Blue didn't seem to mind that she was asking all these questions.

"Yeah, something like that," Mr. Blue hedged. He didn't think she was trying to be invasive so he thought he'd put up with the questions for a while longer.

"Okay. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that. Can I call you anything other than Mr. Blue? It's kind of cumbersome," Chris said.

"Bob," Mr. Blue answered.

"Okay, Bob. Thank you. Now, when are you going to admit that you're hurt and let Johnny check you over properly?" Apparently the dark was giving her courage. She'd have to remember that for future reference.

"He did that once all ready," Bob replied. The fever was getting worse so he knew he'd have to do something soon, before he got so bad that he was more of a hindrance than a help. That's the last thing anyone needed.

"I know. So did I but you need to be checked again properly. You don't need to take the chance of becoming septic. There aren't enough hospitals in working order at the moment," Chris said.

"I'm aware of the lack of medical help. I plan on letting Johnny look at my leg in the morning. Don't worry, I'm not suicidal," Bob said.

"Good. That's never a good quality in a person. Well, I guess I'll try to go back to sleep. I have a feeling we may need it tomorrow. When is Johnny going to relieve you? If you need the extra pair of eyes I could take a shift." Chris knew she was rambling. So much for the dark giving her courage, apparently her mouth hadn't been informed.

"Thanks for offering but I think Johnny and I have it covered," Bob said, a smile playing across his lips. "I have to wake him in an hour."

"Okay. Just keep my offer in mind." With that, Chris moved back over to the fire. She paused long enough to throw an extra couple of logs in the fire before she climbed back into her spot.

Minutes passed but sleep would not come. Chris was just getting ready to go send Bob to bed when he came over and woke Johnny up. The two men had a brief conversation before they went their separate ways. Johnny took over the National Guardsman's spot and prepared to wait for the night to pass.

XXXXX

The sunrise through the sparse trees was beautiful. Johnny could almost forget what was going on around him while he watched it transition through its colours.

Always an early riser, Paul woke up and moved over to where the paramedic was sitting. He watched in silence as the sun topped the rise and sent things into the light.

"What do we do now?" he finally asked. He had absolutely no idea where to go from here. Paul wasn't going to leave his sister and she wasn't going to leave these two men until she knew they were 

safe. The very idea of his sister caring for anyone who wasn't related to her was very foreign to him. He guessed what they said about people meeting under extreme circumstances was right. Strange.

"I don't think there's anything for us to do. We just have to wait until the cavalry shows up," Johnny replied. He hadn't known the man was there until he'd spoken. It had taken all he had in him to keep from jumping ten feet in the air.

"Is the cavalry going to show up? Chris seems to think there's a chance they won't," Paul stated.

"We haven't had a lot of luck with people coming to save us. I guess she's gotten a little pessimistic," Johnny replied, a small grin on his face. He couldn't blame her. He wasn't going to believe it until he saw it either.

"Chris seems different. What exactly happened to all of you?" Paul hadn't really had a chance to discuss everything that had gone on with his sister.

"A lot," was the first thing that came to Johnny's mind. "She helped to save Roy and I when we were trapped in an ambulance. She helped all the people we found along the way to get to a safe place. I think she was afraid to be alone because she wouldn't let us leave her behind.

"I'm afraid she saw things and did things that she probably shouldn't have but I was glad she was with us," Johnny said.

"Somehow I'm not really surprised. I just wish she had more confidence in herself. I'm going to go get some more fire wood. The fire is getting low," Paul stated.

"Thanks," was all Johnny could think to say. Then the Canadian was off, scrounging for more dry wood.

XXXXX

"How are you feeling this morning?" Johnny asked after he went to check on Mr. Blue. The National Guardsman had been sleeping hard until just before noon. Johnny and the others had had their breakfast. Chris and Paul had found the stream and refilled all of the canteens.

Roy had woken up feeling better. At least he didn't feel like he was going to throw up every time he moved his head. That was definitely an encouraging sign. It still felt like his head was ready to fall off when he forced himself to sit up. But it sure beat the alternative.

"Fine," was Mr. Blue's automatic response. Then he thought about it for a moment. "When you have a chance, could you check my leg?"

"Sure. How about now?" Johnny was all ready reaching for the medical kit in his bag. He wasn't going to give the man the chance to change his mind.

"Sure, why not."

Within minutes, Johnny had Mr. Blue's leg cleaned and wrapped in clean bandages. Lastly, he gave the man two of the Tylenols he was trying to hoard. If Roy didn't have a head injury, he would have forced his friend to swallow a couple as well.

"We're apparently not going anywhere for a while so I'd like you to rest after you have something to eat and drink," Johnny ordered. He wasn't going to let the man get any sicker than he all ready was. That was the last thing they needed.

"Thanks," Mr. Blue said. Smiling to himself he rummaged in his pack until he found the rations he'd put there.

"You're welcome," Johnny replied. Then he turned his attention to his partner.


	75. Chapter 75

Time passed. There wasn't much to do but rest and wait. Roy spent most of the afternoon sleeping. It was easier than dealing with the headache and sudden boughts of dizziness that occasionally afflicted him.

Johnny spent his time wandering between the others, checking to make sure everyone was all right. He seemed to have a lot of pent up energy. The youngest paramedic was having trouble sitting for more than a few minutes. He was also having trouble concentrating. But he chose to not let it bother him. With everything they've been through, he'd have been surprised if he hadn't started to show signs of stress.

Paul and Chris spent their time between camp and the river. Both of them were feeling the need to get clean even if only for a few minutes. Chris kept watch while Paul bathed and washed his clothes and then it was her brother's turn to keep an eye out for bikers or other peeping toms.

"Being here I can almost forget about the death and destruction just a few short miles away," Chris stated. She'd climbed out of the river and donned her wet clothes. Luckily it was warm enough that she wouldn't catch a chill.

"I know. It still feels pretty foreign though. I'm starting to really miss the open fields of Saskatchewan," Paul replied.

"I've been missing them since we got here. We'd better get back," Chris responded. She was suddenly feeling very vulnerable this far away from the others. She didn't think anyone was watching them or anything but she was feeling uncomfortable.

"Sure. I've filled the canteens. Let's go."

XXXXX

Back at camp Chris and Paul found Roy lying on his blanket looking very bored while Mr. Blue was sleeping soundly. It took them a minute to find Johnny. The paramedic was out in the trees, trying to keep watch. Unfortunately, in his agitated state he made too much noise to really be successful at seeing anyone before they saw or heard him.

"Are you all right?" Chris asked as she drew closer to him. She'd never seen him like this before and was very concerned for him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Johnny replied. He'd practically worn a track in the underbrush. Johnny knew he could be a little obsessive. Everyone at Station 51 knew that as well. The only thing he could figure that was bothering him this much was that he was waiting for the other shoe to fall. Things had gotten too quiet despite the injured men. Something else had to happen soon. Or so it seemed.

"You don't seem to be all right," Chris stated. She knew she really didn't know enough about the man to make that assumption but he just seemed so out of sorts.

Johnny paused and took a few deep breaths before he continued. "I just keep waiting for the next bad thing to happen. It seems like lately every time we get feeling safe or comfortable something happens that makes it go away."

"That's true. I've been feeling the same thing but I have one advantage over you and the others. I still have a home to go back to. I guess it allows me to keep a bit of distance between myself and what's happened," Chris stated. She'd sat down on a log beside where Johnny stood and vibrated.

"You can't really spend the rest of your life waiting for the next bad thing to happen, you know," Chris continued. "Bad things always happen. Things that we have absolutely no control over, like the earthquake. All we can do is our best and try to get through it. There really isn't anything else, any other alternatives except giving up entirely or letting fear take over until you're completely paralyzed. Somehow I don't think you're that type of person. You wouldn't have made a very good rescue paramedic or fireman if you were."

"Do you have a degree in psychology too?" Johnny couldn't resist asking. She was right of course. Taking another couple of breaths, he left his post and headed over to check on Roy.

Chris grinned. No, she wasn't a psychologist. But she did have a father that had hammered the mantra of 'everything always works out for the best' into her head. Now that she was getting a little older she realized he was right. Of course she'd never tell her dad that. She'd never live it down!

She liked the quiet up on the stump and so decided to stay there. She wasn't needed in the camp and she could keep a pretty good eye on things from there. Taking a few deep breaths of her own, she settled in for a long wait.

"How's your head?" Johnny asked as he knelt down beside his partner. Roy wasn't nearly as pale as before but pain still burned in his blue eyes. Johnny knew Roy wasn't going to complain about it. That was just the way he was.

"Still attached," was all the older paramedic was willing to admit to. He could now sit up fairly well but when he did for too long the dizziness hit him. Roy could just imagine what an x-ray of his skull would look like. Dr. Early would be having a fit.

"If no one comes by the end of tomorrow we're going to have to set out in the morning. Do you think you're up to it?" Johnny asked. He was still hoping but he was also preparing for the worst, just in case.

"I'll be fine by then," Roy replied. He desperately hoped he was right. His ribs had been bad enough but this concussion was making him feel really helpless. He was too used to being the one in charge.

"Okay. Now, how about some supper? It's six o'clock. It's going to get dark soon," Johnny said. He didn't bother to wait for an answer and was all ready pulling rations out of his back pack. Food was getting low but so long as help arrived within the next four days they'd survive.

Roy wasn't really feeling all that hungry but he knew he had to keep his strength up. With a half smile, he accepted the package Johnny handed him. He managed to get up onto his elbows to keep from choking as he ate.

Chris and Paul had been collecting fire wood throughout the day. There was a decent sized pile of it set up beside the fire but they didn't want to take a chance of running out. This late in the fall nights could get pretty cold, especially with the limited number of blankets they had. Their suppers eaten with disinterest, the two set out once again. It was easier to look during the day.

XXXXX

The day passed into evening. The only sounds were those of the animals and birds in the forest. That and teh crackling of the fire Johnny had started just before it got dark. The meal was rations but that was okay. Even rations were better than starving.

"I'll take the first watch," Johnny said. He was better. At least he was able to sit still for more than five minutes at a time. Roy seemed to be feeling a bit better and for that he was truly grateful. But he still didn't feel the need to sleep. He might as well use the energy for something constructive and let the others sleep if they could.

"I'll take a watch," Chris offered. She knew the two men wouldn't consider giving her a watch without her bringing up the possibility. Silence followed her announcement.

"Sure," Johnny replied. She'd done it before so why not let her do it again?

Mr. Blue decided to keep his own thoughts on the idea. He was feeling better now that he'd rested. As far as he could tell the fever was down too. Things were looking up. If the woman wanted to let him get a bit more sleep, who was he to argue?

"When would you like me up?" Chris asked. As much as she wanted to help keep watch, she still hoped it wasn't the middle of the night shift. She wasn't entirely sure she'd stay awake if that were the case.

"I'll wake you up after I've finished my shift," Bob replied.

"Do you want me to take a shift too?" Paul asked. He might as well offer as well.

"No. We'll need someone to stay awake during the day," Mr. Blue stated.

"Works for me," Paul responded.


	76. Chapter 76

_I'm sorry this is shorter than I've been doing. Rock Band has been dragging me away too much of late! Yes, I have other vices than just writing. Thank you again for sticking with me. I promise I'll wrap this up soon._

_Susanne_

Several minutes later, the four of them were settling in to get as much sleep as they could. Roy closed his eyes, same as the others but he wasn't so sure he was going to get much sleep. The pounding in his head wasn't letting him give in to the darkness. Rolling carefully onto his side, Roy turned to face the fire. Nausea assailed him with the movement. Shutting his eyes, he waited for the spell to pass.

One more day. That was all he had to get feeling well enough to walk to help. That was dependant of course on whether help came to them. Roy wasn't really looking forward to walking two or three miles. But then, he'd made it up here with damaged ribs, he supposed he'd make it with a concussion.

Ten yards away, Johnny sat in the dark. Roy briefly considered joining his partner but the thought died quickly. He wasn't sure he'd get there without throwing up. Then his stubborn streak reared its ugly head. Taking a deep breath, he forced his protesting body and head to a more vertical position.

Nausea and dizziness assailed him at the same time, nearly bringing Roy to his knees. Closing his eyes, Roy stood still and took several deep breaths. Eventually the nausea passed and so did most of the dizziness. Steeling himself, he took the first few steps toward his partner.

No so bad, Roy thought. He might actually be able to survive walking if the effects of his concussion stayed as they were. Even in the dark, he could make out Johnny's silhouette so he knew where he was going.

Almost there, Roy thought, just a few more steps. Then the nausea came back with a vengeance. The urge to heave came up before he was even aware of the symptoms resurfacing. Within moments, Roy was on his hands and knees, bringing up everything he'd eaten and drank in the last several hours.

"That you, Roy?" Johnny asked. He hoped it was his partner retching in the dark. If it wasn't Roy that would mean that someone else was sick.

Roy didn't have the breath or energy to answer. His knees had gotten weak and he was having a really hard time staying on them as he continued to heave even after there was nothing left. Strong arms caught hold of him and pulled him into and upright position. Roy knew it was Johnny despite the darkness. His partner pulled him up over his shoulder and carried him back to the camp fire.

After what felt like an eternity, the dry heaves stopped, leaving Roy weaker than he could ever remember being. Somehow Johnny had managed to move him without waking the others. For that Roy was grateful. He hated anyone seeing him like this.

Silently, Johnny opened his canteen and helped his friend drink a little. Then he wrapped his own blanket around him. "Get some sleep," was all the younger paramedic could think to say.

That suddenly sounded like a very good idea. Closing his eyes, Roy gave into the weakness and allowed oblivion to take him.

XXXXX

The night passed quietly after that. Johnny woke Bob up for his shift. The National Guardsman had a hard time staying awake in the peace and quiet. It was only due to his training and discipline that he managed it. When it was Chris's turn, he woke her up.

Chris was used to camping. That meant having a nice warm fire to sit around and knowing where she was and what to expect from the wildlife. This was completely out of her realm of experience. Sitting with her back toward the fire so she could see in the surrounding darkness was hard on her nerves. She kept expecting someone or something to jump out of one of the many darker shadows.

Thankfully, that didn't happen. Despite her nerves being on edge the entire time, her shift passed as quietly as the other two. Even Roy stayed asleep the entire time. Sitting on the rock, watching the sun come up over top of the ridge, Chris was even able to appreciate the beauty of the scene unfolding in front of her.

Unable to sleep any more, Johnny took the time to check on Bob and Roy before moving over to sit beside Chris. It had been a while since he'd last watched a sunrise with any time to enjoy it. He'd forgotten just how truly awe inspiring they could be.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Chris said.

"Yes," was all that Johnny could think to say. Words could not describe the landscape as it changed.

"Almost gives me hope that the world will improve," Chris breathed.

"Almost," Johnny agreed. As they watched the sky brightened and turned from black to blue. Unable to sit still any longer, Johnny got up and brought the fire back to life. It was time for breakfast and he was hoping for a hot meal for once.


	77. Chapter 77

Midway through the day, Johnny thought he heard something. Chris was resting as were Roy and Bob. Paul had wandered over to the river and was filling the canteens and taking a bath. Theyd all eaten and were just trying to pass time until someone showed up. If no one appeared before the next morning the group would head out for the base camp.

As he sat on the rock, trying to pretend he was keeping watch through the ground cover, Johnny could have sworn he heard a motor of some kind. Turning his head he tried to locate the direction of the sound. After a few tense moments, he became convinced that it was coming from the west.

Bob had become aware of the sound as well. Climbing carefully to his feet, he scanned the areas of sky he could see through the tree tops to find the air craft responsible. He had just as much luck as Johnny then he saw it. A helicopter came over the rise just above them.

The clearest place of vegetation was by the stream. At break neck speed, Bob sprinted to make contact with the pilot. Johnny was hot on his heels.

By the time they reached the stream, Paul had all ready waved the pilot in. The helicopter was hovering a few yards above the water surface. Even here the vegetation was too dense for him to land. The side of the helicopter slid open and a man dressed in a flight uniform of some kind hung out the side. Carefully, he lowered a handi talkie down on a rope, along with a large duffle bag that was tied at the end.

Johnny didnt get a chance to pick up the handi talkie, because Bob got to it first and was all ready carrying on a conversation with the pilot.

"What's going on?" Johnny asked. Paul had come up to stand behind the two men. He was just grateful that he'd finished with his bath and was clothed before the helicopter appeared over the tree tops.

"The helicopter was dispatched to bring us supplies. The terrain is such that there's nowhere to land nearby so ground forces are being sent in. The pilot thinks they should reach us by nightfall," Bob reported. If it were just him the pilot would have simply air lifted him out using the rope. But with the civilians involved and Roy's injury that idea had quickly been discarded.

"What's in the bag?" Johnny asked. He pulled the bag off the end of the rope. Rather than risk pulling the rope up and risking it being pulled into the propeller, the pilot's assistant untied the rope and allowed it to fall to the ground.

"Provisions, more clean water. There's also some more medical supplies from your Dr. Brackett for your partner and me," Bob replied. He signalled the pilot that they understood and were okay. The man handing out of the side of the helicopter waved and they moved away. Back in the direction they'd arrived in.

"That's it?" Paul asked. "We're left here to wait again?" He was ready to get back to civilization, even if it was in rough shape.

"Looks like it. Let's get back to Chris and Roy and let them know what's going on," Johnny suggested. He wasn't too happy about being left behind either. He could understand the pilot's thinking but he didn't have to like it.

"Might as well," Paul replied. Shouldering the duffle bag, he followed the other two men back to where their camp would continue to be for the time being.

XXXXX

The other two were so tired that they hadn't even heard the helicopter or noticed that the others had left. They were both still sound asleep when they returned.

Instantly worried, Johnny knelt down beside his partner and quickly but gently took his life signs. Roy didn't react at all until Johnny tightened the BP cuff on his bicep so he could check his blood pressure.

"Hey," Roy said, feeling a little disorientated upon first waking up. "What's going on?"

"A helicopter just found us. They're sending rescue by land, the ground cover is too dense to land. Dr. Brackett sent us some medical supplies. I'm just going to check to see what exactly he's sent and I'll treat you once I know what's available," Johnny replied. Roy's BP was slightly elevated but nothing too extreme. His respirations and pulse were also slightly elevated.

On cue, Paul handed over the duffle bag and went to sit near his sister. Chris had come awake as soon as she'd heard the voices but was still lying down and resting. There wasn't much she could help with so she might as well just stay out of the way.

Roy was surprised and concerned that he hadn't heard the copter. That wasn't like him at all. Glancing at the others, he could see concern reflected on their faces. Apparently he was in rougher shape than he'd thought.

"I've got antibiotics here for you, Mr. Blue," Johnny said. He'd opened the duffle bag and pulled a hand written note out of it. "Dr. Brackett has sent IV's for bother of you and some drugs to reduce possible intracranial pressure. I'll start with you, Roy."

Briefly, Roy considered arguing but then he decided he didn't have the energy. Silently, he watched as Johnny started the IV in his right arm and then he injected the medicine into Roy's left shoulder.

At first Roy didn't feel anything. All he knew was that he was still very tired and his head still hurt. Gradually, though, the ache in his skull began to decrease. Sleep stole over him again.

Satisfied that he'd done everything he could for Roy, Johnny turned his attention to Mr. Blue. As he pulled the IV set out and began to put it together, Mr. Blue set his hand over top of the paramedic.

"You can give me antibiotics if you want, but you're not putting an IV into me. I need to stay as mobile as possible. Just in case," he informed the slightly younger man. The dark haired paramedic seemed to spend a minute or two considering what he'd said.

"Are you sure?" Johnny asked finally. He would have felt better about the man's chances of healing quicker if he'd let him put in the IV. However, he was well aware that their situation was still tenuous and Mr. Blue was right.

"Positive," Mr. Blue replied.

"Okay." Johnny brought out a vial and drew some of the contents up into a syringe. He injected it into the man's right shoulder.

"I'm going to want to check your bandages again, though," he added as he put the antibiotics back into the bag.

"Fine," Bob replied. He wasn't thrilled with the idea but if it kept the paramedic from putting an IV in, he'd live with it.

XXXXX

"So," Chris said. Bob was lying down a few feet away from her, as per Johnny's orders. "What's going to happen now?"

"What do you mean?" Bob asked. The antibiotic had really taken a lot out of him. Otherwise he would have ignored the paramedic's order.

"When the rescue gets here, what happens after that?" Chris continued.

"Well, that depends," Bob replied.

"Depends on what?" Chris didn't feel like letting the man off easy. She really wanted to know what to expect.

"If we're taken to a temporary base camp, you and Paul will be left there until you can be evacuated out of the country," Mr. Blue stated. He knew the two of them were Canadian, he'd heard the others talking.

"If we're taken to a permanent base, you and Paul will be shipped out ASAP. The fewer mouths we have to feed around here for a while, the better."

"Okay. I can understand that. What happens to Johnny and Roy?" As she spoke, she glanced over at Roy as he slept deeply. She wasn't sure she really wanted to be separated from the two men. Logically, though, she knew that was what was going to ultimately happen. She belonged in Canada, not 

Los Angeles or any other American city. They were great to visit, especially when natural disasters like earthquakes didn't happen but she really didn't belong south of the forty-ninth parallel.

"Roy will be placed in whatever will pass for a medical facility until the medical personnel are satisfied that he's okay. After that he'll be allowed to decide whether he'll return to duty with the LACFD or allow himself to be evacuated.

"Johnny will probably be given the same option, just sooner since he's not injured," Mr. Blue informed her.

"Can the city recover from this?" Chris couldn't stop herself from asking. After everything she'd seen, it just didn't seem possible.

"Of course," Mr. Blue said instantly. He was surprised by the question. There had never been a doubt in his mind, despite the destruction, that Los Angeles would rise again from the rubble. It was the City of Angels, after all. "All ready city workers and volunteers are working to clear streets and get life back to normal as soon as possible."

"I have trouble seeing that," Chris admitted. "After walking the freeway along the ocean and through some of the neighbourhoods, I find it very hard to see that happening. Don't they have to worry about removing all the bodies first? They wouldn't want to accidently run over one with a bulldozer."

"From what I understand, you were helping to search a street when the fires over took you. There have been a vast number of groups moving through every neighbourhood that could be reached.

"There are certain neighbourhoods that have been burned to the ground where there won't be as much concern about bodies. The fires will have taken care of most of them. I know it's cold but it's where we are today," Bob said.

"The world certainly has changed since I got here. Back then I spent most of my time looking for an actor or other personality. Now we have to watch for bodies and fire zones," Chris said. She was still having a bit of trouble digesting everything that had happened. If she closed her eyes she could almost convince herself that it had all been a dream.

"I've never been to LA before the earthquake," Bob admitted. He'd travelled over much of the United States. This was one of the few cities he hadn't had the pleasure of visiting until now.

Further conversation was pre-empted by the sound of more engines. The two paused to look at each other. Then they were getting to their feet and heading in the direction of the sounds, on the other side of the rise.

It seemed a little surreal as they watched five vehicles, ranging from jeeps to army trucks, break through the underbrush and head up the rise.

Chris's first instinct was to drop to the ground before she was seen. Old habits die hard. She took her lead from Bob, however, and remained standing as the vehicles approached. In the lead was the jeep. It was followed closely by the other vehicles as they made their way through the trees.

Behind her, Chris could hear Johnny, Roy and Paul trudging up the hill as well. With bated breath, she waited to see what was going to happen.

"You Mr. Blue?" the man in the passenger side of the jeep called out when they got close enough to be heard.

"Yeah," Bob answered. He'd all ready taken stock of the artillery and the vehicles and knew what they were up against. Luckily, they were friendlies.

"Mr. Black sends his regards," the man said with a smile. The jeep pulled up a few feet in front of the group.

Suddenly there were a lot of people there. Roy was being led off to the back of the nearest army truck, as was Mr. Blue. Johnny glanced at the two Canadians for a moment but his concern for the wounded over powered all other concerns and he set off after them.

Desperate to not be separated from her brother again, Chris caught hold of Paul's nearest arm in a death grip that she had no intention of letting go of. The two of them were hustled after the other three. Without time to consider what was happening or if she really wanted to go, Chris was hoisted up into the back of the truck.

Numb, Chris fell onto the wooden bench that ran both sides of the canvas covered back of the truck. She felt Paul sit down beside her and two other men climbed in after him, rifles in their hands. Then they were moving.


	78. Chapter 78

_Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I don't know that there's actually an El Toro Air Force Base. I was watching Independence Day while writing that part of the story. Hope I didn't upset anyone!_

Morning found them still travelling but instead of making their way through uncharted forests, they'd now moved onto paved roads. From the relatively undamaged state of the roads, Johnny guessed that they'd finally moved beyond the earthquake zone.

Now that he wasn't being thrown about on the bench, Roy was finding the trip a little easier to take. The pain killer had helped his brain stop beating against the inside of his skull. He could even open his eyes for more than a few minutes at a time.

The toddlers were getting restless now that they were awake. Nick was trying to bribe them with ration bars when the vehicle finally came to a stop. He'd been so distracted by the children that he hadn't even seen where they'd pulled into.

"It's time to disembark," the soldier stated as he jumped out the back of the truck. Within minutes, they'd helped everyone out of the truck. They were as gentle as they could while still moving them as fast as they could.

Helping Roy out of the truck, Johnny looked around. He was stunned to find undamaged buildings all around them. From the outward appearance of the structures they were on a military base of some kind. His first thoughts were El Toro or one of the other bases nearby. They'd unloaded on a street that ran straight through the two rows of buildings. At either end, the buildings grew smaller, more the size used for residences. The buildings on either side of them though were quite long and had centre doorways indicating they were used for administrative or medical purposes.

A group of people, including four orderlies pushing two gurneys, raced toward them across the street. Among the flapping white coats, Johnny could swear he saw Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early. Relief flowed through him. He was not going to be responsible for his partner's medical care any longer. That took a huge load off his shoulders. A load he hadn't even been aware he was carrying until this moment.

"Johnny, Roy," Dr. Brackett called as they drew closer. The Emergency Room physician was just as relieved to see the two paramedics. After hearing of the state of Roy's head, the doctor had really doubted whether they'd be able to get him here before he suffered permanent damage.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Johnny said as they finally reached them. He'd stayed beside Roy. He knew his partner was having trouble staying in an upright position. The concussion had really knocked the wind out of his sails.

"You are too," Dr. Early replied, a huge grin on his face. The orderlies pulled up beside Roy and Bob and gently but forcefully put them on the gurneys. Then they were being pushed toward the middle building. All of the survivors were herded into the building so that they could be checked over.

"Have you heard about any of the guys on Engine 51?" Johnny had to ask. He was hustling to keep up with the gurney Roy was lying on. After all that had happened, he wasn't going to be separated from his partner now.

"They were sent here shortly after you left to find the girl's brother. They're resting before they head back to the city to help with relief efforts and rebuilding. It's going to take a while before we get anywhere back to normal," Dr. Early informed him.

Once inside the building, the survivors were shuttled to separate rooms. Johnny wanted to stay with Chris and Paul but his concern for Roy overrode that idea. He followed Roy's gurney into the examination room and waited for Dr. Early to do his exam.

For their part, Chris and Paul knew there was nothing significantly wrong with them that a good, hot meal, a shower and a really tall glass of water wouldn't fix. As a result, they fought being separated and insisted on staying in the same room. Restlessly, they wandered the room, looking at the instruments and through the cupboards while they waited for their turn to be seen. They knew Roy and Bob would take precedence, as they rightly should. They were prepared to wait but not to like it much.

"How are the others?" Johnny asked when Dr. Brackett entered the exam room. Dr. Early had spent several minutes going over Roy, making small sounds as he did and asking questions as necessary. Johnny had no idea what he was finding because the doctor hadn't said anything of consequence yet.

"Mr. Blue will need to have his wound surgically cleaned and restitched. The antibiotics you gave him and all ready starting to work on the infection and fever. I think he's going to be just fine," Dr. Brackett replied. "How's Roy doing?"

Johnny turned to Dr. Early, also interested in the answer. "What do you say, doc?"

"Well, it's a good thing he got the medication when he did but I don't think there will be any permanent damage," Dr. Early stated.

"That's not exactly a resounding vote of confidence there, doc," Roy joked. The exam so far had been relatively painless. From the sounds Dr. Early had been making, though, not everything he'd found was good. Roy was starting to feel a little nervous about his prognosis.

"I didn't mean to make it sound that way. You've had a bad concussion, Roy. The good news is it's healing very well and shouldn't cause you any problems in the future," Dr. Early amended with a wide grin on his face. Despite the worry he'd been feeling about some of his findings, he knew that the paramedic was going to be just fine.

"That's good to know," Johnny said. Relief was nearly making his knees weak. As casually as he could, Johnny leaned against the exam table Roy had been transferred to and tried to not fall.

"Not that we know Roy's going to be okay, I think it's time for you to be examined, Johnny. After that we'll find you a shower and a place to rest. There's a few of the others that will be ready in a matter of minutes as well. Did you want to wait for them?" Dr. Bracket asked. He'd seen how weak the younger paramedic had suddenly become.

"What about Roy?" was Johnny's automatic response. He wasn't going to take the chance.

"I'd like to keep him in for observation," Dr. Early started. Then he looked closer at the two men. Their usual camaraderie had deepened. They were beyond friends. They were now closer to brothers. He had the feeling he'd exacerbate their conditions if he tried to keep them apart. "So long as we keep you both in a room in the hospital I'll be satisfied."

"Where are Chris and Paul?" Roy asked. He knew he should be concerned for the others as well but the two Canadians were his second priority now that he knew the members of A shift of Station 51 were safe.

"Just down the hall waiting to be examined. Why? Do you need them for something?" Dr. Bracket asked.

"No, not really. I just wanted to know where they are," the senior paramedic admitted. He glanced at Johnny who was still hovering close by.

"I can find a place where you can all stay if you'd like," Dr. Brackett suggested. There were empty houses nearby as quite a few people were out helping with the relief efforts. The military had offered the houses if they were needed for survivors.

"That won't be necessary," Mr. Black said as he entered the room. "We have a flight headed to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to pick up donated supplies from the Canadian Air Force. I've heard the two of them talking. I know they're from that area. It may be their only chance to get home for some time."

"They'll be thrilled to know they're going home," Johnny admitted even as he felt a little sad at not having them around anymore. "When does the flight leave?"

"At 10pm. I was on my way to tell them," Mr. Black said. His briefing complete, the National Guardsman turned and began to leave the room.

"I'm coming with you," Johnny volunteered on impulse. Even as he spoke, Roy was trying to force his way off the table. Dr. Early caught hold of his nearest shoulder and gently pushed the paramedic down. He may be pretty much out of the woods but he was still going to need to spend some time resting.

XXXXX

The door to their exam room opened. Instantly Paul and Chris were on their feet, looking anxiously at who was coming in. Both of them were ready to do anything they would let them. Dig trenches, wash windows, anything. The excess energy was very hard to use up at the moment.

"Mr. Black," Paul said upon recognizing the man. "What's going on?"

"We have a chance to send you and some other Canadians home. We're sending a plane to the Canadian Forces Air Base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. It's your only ticket home in the next month," Mr. Black informed them.

"The Base, you've got to be joking, right?" Chris couldn't believe her ears. They were going home! Unbelievable! Then Johnny entered the room and her elation was instantly tempered. That would mean leaving the people she'd come to care about behind. The thought was sobering.

"What will happen to the others?" she heard someone else say. That someone else sounded very much like herself but she was having trouble staying grounded. She was torn between wanting to go home where it was safe and secure and staying to help her friends rebuild their world.

"Which others do you mean?" Mr. Black asked.

"Johnny, Roy, Ponch and Jon and all the others," she supplied.

"That will be up to them. They can choose to stay and help or go some place and recuperate," Mr. Black informed her.

"Have the biker gangs and other people taking advantage of this situation been captured or controlled?" Chris hated to leave anything uncompleted, especially trying to help her friends. She couldn't decide where she needed to be.

"No," Mr. Black admitted. "We're getting closer to locating the different camps that have sprung up but not all of them are as civilized as this one."

"Chris," Johnny interrupted. "You have to go home. You know that."

"I know. I just don't feel right leaving all of you here with your lives turned upside down," Chris responded.

Further conversation was prevented by the arrival of the members of Engine 51. Upon seeing Johnny, they surrounded him, slapping him on the back and otherwise indicating their joy at finding him alive and well.

Once the uproar died down a bit, they turned their attention to Chris and her brother.

"So," Captain Stanley said. "You're the famous Paul."

"Well, I don't think I'm famous," Paul stated. He wasn't too sure how to take these men. He still had a really hard time seeing his sister so comfortable with them.

"You may not be famous but we've sure heard a lot about you," Captain Stanley stated as a grin spread across his face.

Paul glanced at his sister who was desperately wishing she could disappear into a hole in the ground. "Was it all good or all bad?"

"All good, of course," Lopez laughed. It was so good to just be together. Knowing that they were all safe made the world seem a little less dark.

As the conversation continued, much to Chris's chagrin, the door to the room opened again and Roy, Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early squeezed in. The doctors couldn't keep the senior paramedic in bed any longer but they didn't want him wandering too far without supervision.

Watching the firemen and medical staff reacquaint themselves, Chris sidled up to Mr. Black. "How's Mr. Blue?"

"He'll recover," Mr. Black answered.

"That's good," Chris suddenly felt very unsure of herself again. She decided she didn't much like the feeling any more. "How much time to we have before the plane takes off?"

Mr. Black paused to check his watch before answering. "You have eight hours," he said.

"Good," Chris stated. Johnny was right, she needed to go home. Just so they had two less people to worry about among the millions they currently had. Also, she just needed to go home.


	79. Chapter 79

The men of Station 51 were sent to a small barracks to settle in. Chris and Paul tagged along because they really didn't have anything else to do. Now there was nothing left to do but wait for their plane.

As soon as they were settled, the next thing they all did was take a much needed shower. The barracks came complete with communal shower stalls so the men were able to get clean pretty much at the same time. Chris had to wait until they were done before she could go in.

That suited her fine. While they were busy, she'd managed to have a short phone conversation with her mother. It was very emotional to hear her voice again. Chris was very relieved that she was able to tell her that they were both safe and on their way home.

That done, she'd waited patiently for the men. She was very grateful that somewhere along the line someone had found her and Paul new, clean clothes to change into. Chris was sure her own clothes were ready to stand up and walk away on their own. They were that dirty and gross.

XXXXX

"What are you looking forward to the most, Chris?" Captain Stanley asked. There was a small sitting room in the barracks where they'd all congregated once now that they were clean and fed.

"Sleeping in my own bed," Chris responded. "Seeing my family and cats is a close second, though."

"I miss my bed," Chet said. "I miss my apartment."

"Don't we all," Mike agreed. The Engineer had been returned to his teammates now that his leg was healing well on its own. He was still on a course of antibiotics but he considered that a minor detail.

"Has there been any word on the extent of the damage? Do any of you know if you still have a home?" Chris asked. She wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer but she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Well, Johnny and Roy are homeless. The rest of us have to wait until the National Guard starts allowing people back into the earthquake zone to find out for sure," Captain Stanley replied. He'd all ready discussed the destruction of the paramedics' homes with them. Otherwise he wouldn't have been so blunt about it.

"My house was all ready having problems with the foundation after the last earthquake. I honestly don't think it'll still be standing," he continued. There was a slight echo of sadness in his deep voice but he'd long resigned himself to the fact that he too was homeless. The only thing that had really mattered was that he knew his family had gotten out and were safe with his wife's family in San Diego.

"I'd offer our house as a place for any of you to go but I all ready know what the answer will be. You're not willing to leave until you know everyone is all right and until the city is back on its feet. Still, the invitation is there and always open," Chris stated. She desperately wanted to take them all with her but that wasn't feasible. That just wasn't the type of people they were.

"We'll keep that in mind," Captain Stanley said. He appreciated the offer, they all did. She was right, though. None of them would be happy until they knew the city was back to its former glory, if that was possible.

"Where will you go from here?" Paul wanted to know. He couldn't imagine having to start his life all over again. Having nothing but the clothes on his back was beyond his comprehension.

"Battalion is bringing in fire fighters from other regions so that we can be rotated out. They're worried about us getting burnt out from the continued work and stress. That should be later on tomorrow. After that we'll just have to see what happens. As you all ready know, this city is going to take a long time to rebuild," Captain Stanley stated.

"I heard they've all ready sent bull dozers and trucks through some of the neighbourhoods we cleared," Mike said. In the hospital tent he'd heard a lot of the conversations going on around him. At least they were beginning the process of cleaning up. That was a start.

"Yeah, I've heard that too. They're starting in the outlying areas and working their way in. It'll take a long time before they reach downtown but they'll get there eventually," Captain Stanley said.

"When they get Station 51 up and running again, you two will have to come for a tour," Roy suggested from his place on the couch. It was the one concession he'd been forced to make by his partner. He was stretched out on the couch with a pillow under his head. On the couch perpendicular to his lay Mike. Johnny wasn't taking any chances with him either.

"I'd love to," Chris responded, her voice sounding a little wistful. Now that it was getting closer to the time when she would be leaving, she was having a hard time controlling her emotions. She was excited to be going home but tears kept coming to her eyes unbidden.

"If they have a reopening ceremony, I'll make sure that you get invited," Johnny said. He'd seen the tears glistening in her eyes. After everything, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen her cry before. It was a little disconcerting. A watery smile crossed her face as she tried to wipe away the tears without anyone noticing.

"That would be wonderful," was all she could think to say.

The door to the barracks opened and Mr. Black came in, followed shortly by Mr. Blue hobbling along on crutches.

"There's been a change of plan," Mr. Black stated. "The plane's departure time has been moved up. You have twenty minutes to be on board."

Silence fell around the room. Chris looked carefully at each of the men before forcing her body up into a standing position.

"Well, I guess this is good bye then," she said. "I have to thank each and every one of you for helping me and keeping me safe. I would still be stuck on that freeway if not for you."

"Somehow I doubt that," Roy said as he stood up. Dizziness assailed him but he ignored it was he crossed the room to give the woman a quick hug.

All of the fire fighters took their turn giving Chris a hug. Then they shook Paul's hand. Mr. Black stepped back outside the door to wait for them. Mr. Blue followed him out and similarly stood on the porch.

Tears now flowing freely down Chris's cheeks, she looked at the men she'd come to know and trust and even love a little bit. Then, feeling like she was walking through molasses, she made her way to the door. Paul followed behind her. He knew this was hard on his sister. He just wanted to be there for her if she needed him.

At the door she paused and turned around. "Thanks again. Take care of your selves," she said through her tears. Then she was gone.

A moment later, Mr. Black came in with a piece of paper in his hand. In the silence that had reigned since the two Canadians had left, he handed the paper to Roy.

"She wanted to make sure you had her address just in case any of you were able to make it to Canada one day," he said. Then he too left to escort the two to their plane.

Slowly, Roy folded the piece of paper and slipped it into his pants pocket. Suddenly feeling very tired and old, he made his way back to the couch and lay down. Within in a matter of moments he was sound asleep.

"Is there anything on the television?" Chet suggested. They'd all resumed their seats and were staring at each other, unsure of what to do with themselves.

"I don't know," Captain Stanley responded. "Let's find out."


	80. Chapter 80

_Hi. So, this is it. I'm not used to writing endings because most of my stories don't have endings. How did I do? Please let me know. _

_Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read this story. I can't express my appreciation. Thank you especially to those of you who kept reviewing. I loved hearing from you._

_Susanne_

ONE YEAR LATER

It had taken a long time to clean up Los Angeles and the surrounding cities after the earthquake. Despite the devastating destruction, only 85 people had actually perished in the disaster. One year to the date of the earthquake a memorial was held for those 85 people. It was well attended by the families, friends and emergency workers that had responded to the situation.

Station 51 had been rebuilt. It looked very much the same but with important differences. Engineers and architects had learned from the earthquake and had changed some of the building standards. If another quake was to hit, the Station wasn't going to be one of its casualties.

Standing outside the new building, 'A' shift looked it over. The other two shifts that made Station 51 their home were also present. B y some unspoken, unconscious plan the three shifts each stood together with their fellow fire fighters. The shifts were used to working with each other when overtime shifts were necessary but they still automatically gathered together with the same people they generally worked with.

"It looks the same," Chet stated, sounding nonplussed.

"Of course it does. Why improve on perfection?" Johnny responded.

"I wouldn't go that far," Captain Stanley said. Looking at the Station house, though, was much like seeing an old friend. His heart filled with peace. They were home again. Finally.

"No?" Mike said. "The only thing that would make this better is if Old Red and the Squad are behind those doors."

It felt like it had been an eternity since the men of Station 51 had worked as actual fire fighters. All county works had been doing whatever was necessary to rebuild the city. Most of their time had been spent doing construction or clean up.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Chet asked as he started up the drive way.

"The politicians," Captain Stanley said. They were early. He knew that but they had to wait for the official opening day ceremony and all the hoopla that went with it. Too bad politicians weren't as punctual.

"Ah, do we have to, Cap?" Chet asked, sounding very much like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Yes, Chet, we do," Hank said.

First one car and then another pulled up across the driveway. Both of them were large limousines. Out of the first came a photographer and some of the minor county officials they were waiting for. As the men stood and watched, a large red ribbon was strung across the driveway between two poles they'd put up.

Amused, the men of Station 51 turned to see who was going to climb out of the second car. Four large men, wearing dark glasses and suits climbed out first. They took up positions along the sidewalk so they could watch over the whole proceeding.

Once the body guards were settled, the door to the back of the limo opened again. The men of Station 51 were somewhat taken aback to see the mayor of LA and the governor of California both clamber out of the back seat. Still stunned, they watched as yet a third person climbed out. The person was shorter than the first two and kind of stayed behind them. The fire fighters weren't able to quite make out the person's features.

"So, this is where you do all your work," a familiar female voice said.

"Chris?" Roy asked, with disbelief. Ignoring the dignitaries the six men scrambled to see the person behind the men. Sure enough, there she stood. Chris looked much better rested than the last time they saw her and maybe a little less heavy. None of it really mattered to them. It was just damn good to see her again.

"Who else were you expecting?" Chris asked with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I thought you couldn't make it," Johnny said as he gave the woman a quick hug. He'd written to her and asked her to come for the reopening, just as he'd promised. But Chris had said she didn't have time to take off of work or the money to come.

"I was asked to tell a little white lie. Let's get this thing over with so you can show me around," Chris said.

The six men of 'A' shift surrounded her and stood back to watch as the politicians did their thing. It was not the first grand reopening and it wouldn't be the last. The people of LA had grown kind of jaded to the whole process so it wound up being just the politicians and the firemen. That was just fine by them as they waited impatiently for the whole ceremony to be over.

"You're looking much better than the last time I saw you," Chris whispered to Roy. The senior paramedic was on her right hand side while Johnny was on the left. Some part of her felt like she'd come home upon seeing their familiar faces. She decided to not pursue that line of thought.

"So are you," Roy whispered back with a little mischief in his voice. At least now Chris had clothes that fit her properly and weren't hospital greens.

"How much longer is this going to go on?" Chet said quietly behind them. He really wanted to go look at the inside. None of the rest of this mattered much to him.

"Let them have their moment, Chet. It's been a lot of work to get this place up and running again," Hank muttered.

Finally, the ribbon was cut and the politicians made their way inside. The men from Station 51 were right on their heels, trying not to look to eager to get inside.

"So this is the famous Chris?" the captain of 'B' shift asked. The other members of Station 51 had heard stories about Johnny and Roy's time on the freeway. Inevitably, they also heard about Chris and the others.

"Yes, this is her," Johnny responded, grinning with pride. It felt wonderful to see her again, especially when they weren't trying to save their lives.

"Why am I famous?" Chris asked, not really liking the implications.

"We're heard stories about you," the captain of 'B' shift stated. "I'm glad you were there for Johnny and Roy when they needed you and vice versa."

"I'm glad too," Chris admitted, suddenly feeling a little shy. To break the spell, she turned her attention back to the dignitaries. The mayor and governor were wandering through the building, trying to seem interested. These endless tours were starting to take their toll.

It was the first shift for Station 51 since the earthquake. They were all very relieved to have their home away from home back. The first thing they saw upon entering the garage was that Big Red and the squad were indeed parked inside. With a whoop of unbridled joy, Chet climbed aboard the fire engine.

Laughing, the rest of the shift watched as he checked every inch of the engine in pure delight.

"How long are you here for?" Johnny asked. The two paramedics and Chris were hanging back a bit, letting the others have their fun.

"I'm just here for the day. My boss couldn't quite understand why I needed to come down here for this. She figured I should have seen enough of LA the last time I was here. But I had to come. I've been wondering how you all were doing ever since I went back," Chris responded.

"Have you heard how any of the others are doing?" she continued.

"Ponch and Jon are back at work. Their station had to be rebuilt as well because the freeways collapsed on top of it," Johnny said. He'd been in close contact with the two CHP officers since the earthquake. They'd become close friends.

"Spencer is teaching at the university now that classes have started again. Thomas hasn't been around much. I think he got a part in a soap opera in New York City. Nick is back at work. There's been a lot more crime of late so he hasn't had much time for anything else. Paul has been around helping anyone who needs it. He helped with rebuilding Station 51," Johnny informed her. "Helen has moved home again now that her house has been declared safe."

"What about Mr. Blue and the rest of the National Guardsmen?" Chris asked. The other fire men were wandering around the station, comparing it to what they were used to. The three of them hung back in the corner of the garage, catching up.

"We got to know them pretty good while we were stationed at the base. Bob had to do desk duty for a while until his leg healed completely. Then he moved back out into the field. They were kept busy tracking down trouble makers and searching through the rubble for bodies," Roy told her. "I saw Bob four days ago. He came over for a barbeque I had to celebrate the station reopening."

"What? You didn't invite me?" Chris asked, feigning hurt feelings. Roy turned several shades of red. The thought hadn't even occurred to him after the woman had turned down the invitation for the reopening ceremony. "Sorry. I was just giving you a hard time."

"Well, let's begin the tour then," Roy suggested as he tried to change the subject. His face was still pretty red. "You've seen us in action all ready. Now let's show you what the equipment we usually use looks like."

Smiling so hard she was afraid her face would split in half, Chris nodded. She was going to drink up every minute she was here. This was a dream come true to be here with these men with their world finally turned upside right. She'd seen them under the worst circumstances possible. Now she was looking forward to getting to know them under the best. "Sounds good to me," she said. "Lead the way."

"By the way, did all of you find new homes?" Chris asked. She'd been writing letters with Johnny and Roy and some of the others but somehow their new residential status had never really come up.

"Yeah, all of us except Captain Stanley. He needs a bigger place for his wife and two kids. They're building a new home where the old one stood. It should be finished in a month or two," Johnny said.

"That's great. I'm very glad to hear that," Chris responded. Then they were off, exploring the new/old Station 51. It was good to be home. It was good to be among friends again. Los Angeles wasn't such a bad place after all. Maybe she'd come down here for another vacation after all. But then, maybe not.

THE END


End file.
